LIBRARY     OF 


1885- IQ56 


INSECTS  AT  HOME. 


HH(i/Vtf>-  '/  fH 


RIVERSIDE,     CAMBRIDGE: 
PRINTED    BY    H.    O.    HOUGHTON   AND    COJIPANT. 


PEEFACE. 


As  this  is  not  a  work  on  comparative  anatomy,  but  treats  of 
'  Insects  at  Home,'  a  greater  stress  is  laid  on  the  habits  of  the 
insects  than  on  their  anatomy.  Still,  inasmuch  as  a  general 
knowledge  of  the  various  parts  of  an  insect  and  of  the  terms 
applied  to  them  is  absolutely  necessary  for  all  who  wish  to 
study  the  subject,  however  superficially,  I  have  given,  together 
with  the  different  groups  of  insects,  those  portions  of  their 
structure  which  serve  to  distinguish  them  from  their  fellows. 

Moreover,  there  will  be  found  prefixed  to  the  description  of 
the  chief  groups  chart-drawings  of  their  anatomy,  so  as  to 
enable  the  reader  to  recognise  the  various  portions  of  an  insect 
when  he  examines  it.  I  am  led  to  do  this  by  the  remem- 
brance of  the  difl&culties  undergone  by  myself  during  my  earlier 
years  of  entomology.  In  those  days  the  only  works  which 
gave  illustrations  as  well  as  names  were  so  few,  and  so  costly, 
that  they  were  positively  out  of  my  reach  as  much  as  if  they 
had  never  existed.  I  have  therefore  endeavoured  in  this  work 
to  supply  that  want  which  I  felt  so  severely,  and  have  so 
arranged  the  work  that  no  reader  need  be  puzzled  as  to  the 
difference  between  mandible,  maxilla,  labium,  and  mentum, 
as  I  was  in  former  days.  For  example,  the  chart-drawing  on 
page  9  describes  fully  the  structure  of  a  Beetle,  and  is  in  fact 
a  key  to  that  of  all  insects  ;   that  on  page  296  gives  all  those 


VI  PREFACE. 

points  in  which  the  Bees,  Wasps,  Ants  and  their  kin  differ 
from  the  Beetles ;  and  that  on  page  385  performs  the  same 
service  with  regard  to  the  Moths  and  Butterflies. 

In  the  Woodcuts  which  are  inserted  in  the  text  the  num- 
bered figures  represent  insects,  and  those  to  which  letters  are 
attached  represent  the  most  important  details  of  those  insects. 
It  is  by  means  of  such  details  that  entomologists  are  enabled 
to  arrange  insects  in  some  definite  system,  and  so  to  enable 
anyone  who  is  acquainted  with  them  to  identify  an  insect 
which  he  has  never  before  seen. 

The  reader  may  probably  notice  that  these  figures  of 
insects  are  but  slightly  shaded,  and  in  many  cases  are  little 
but  outline.  This  is  intentional,  and  the  shading  is  omitted 
in  order  that  the  reader  may  supply  its  place  by  colour.  In 
every  case  where  red,  yellow,  or  light  hues  of  any  tint  are  to  be 
used,  their  place  is  left  as  nearly  blank  as  possible  ;  and,  as 
the  insects  are  described  fully  in  the  text,  there  will  be  no 
diflSculty  in  applying  the  colours.  I  would  recommend  a 
liberal  use  of  ox-gall  in  mixing  the  colours,  so  as  to  neutralise 
the  oily  lines  of  the  printer's  ink. 

Should  the  reader  wish  to  colour  the  page-size  engravings, 
he  must  first  prepare  them  with  a  little  size,  or  otherwise  the 
colours  will  run.  It  will  be  found  better,  in  order  to  bring 
out  the  insects  more  boldly,  either  to  leave  the  background 
uncoloured,  or  to  put  in  the  colours  as  lightly  as  possible.  I 
very  strongly  recommend  the  possessor  of  the  work  to  colour 
these  illustrations,  as  he  will  thus  fix  the  insects  firmly  in 
his  mind,  and  quadruple  the  value  of  the  volume  to  other 
readers. 

October  1871. 


CONTENTS. 


CH.     I. iNTROnrCTION 1 

11. — Geodephaga         .         .         .         .         .         .         ,         .         ,         .14 

III.— Geodephaga — continued 31 

IV. — Hydradephaga 53 

V. — Beachelytba 66 

VI. — Neceophaga        •....,,...       86 

VII. — Lamellicoenes  . .112 

VIII. f^TEE>-'^XI  .  ,  .  , 126 

IX. — Maxacodeemi 133 

X. — Heteromeea        .         .         . 143 

XI. — Ehynchophora,  oe  Weevils .161 

XII. — LONGICOENES         ..........       191 

XIII. — EupoDA 203 

XIV. — PSEUDOTEIMERA 215 

DERMAPTERA 225 

ORTHOPTERA 235 

THYSANOPTERA 259 


NEUROPTERA . 


TRICHOPTERA 


263 

287 


HYMENOPTERA— 
Ch.    I. — Saw-Flies  .         .        .        . 
II. — The  Ichneumon  Flies 
III. — Ants  and  Diggers     . 
IV. — Wasps  and  Solitary  Bees 
V. — Social  Bees 


295 
320 
335 
348 
S68 


viii  CONTENTS. 

PAGE 

LEPIDOPTERA— 

Ch.      I. — Rhopaiocera,  oe  Butterflies 383 

II. — ILeteroceea,  or  Moths 412 

III. — G-EOMETR^ 446 

IV. — PSEUDO-BOMBTCE«     r)REP4NrT.;E.    ANTl    Nncm*      ....  463 

v. — Deltoides,  Ptkalidjss,  ani>  Ceambiies 487 

VI. — ToRTEiCES,  TinejE,  A>rD  Pterophori 502 

VII. — TiNE^  AND  Pterophori 514 

HOMOPTERA 633 

HETEROPTERA— 

Ch.      I. — AuRocoRisA,  oe  Air-Bugs 555 

II. — Hydrocorisa,  or  Watee-Bugs  ...                ...  581 

APHANIPTERA— (PuLiciDi:,  oe  Flkas) 591 

DIPTERA.        ,..,..,•....  -099 


ILLUSTEATIONS. 


PLATES. 


FRONTISPIECE. 


1.  Tiger   Beetle  {Cicindcia  campestris) 

on  the  wing. 

2.  Great    Green   Grasshopper   (Acrida 

virid/sgi/na)  depositing  its  eggs  in 
the  ground. 

3.  Dragon    Fly   (^Mschna  grandis)   in 

chase  of  prey. 

4.  Great  H'wes.  {i>ircx  gig  as)  die^ositing 

its  eggs. 

5.  Hornet  ( Ve&pa  crabro)  eating  a  Red 

Admiral  Butterfly. 

6.  Swallow-tail  Butterfly  {Pax>ilio  Ma- 

chaon)  flying. 

7.  Light  Crimson  Underwing  {Catocala 

prontissa)  flying. 

8.  British  Cicada  {Cicada  anglica)  fly- 

ing. 

9.  Humble-Bee  Fly  (Bomhylius  medius) 

feeding  while  on  the  wing. 


PLATE  I, 


PLATE  II. 


TIGER      BEETLES 
BARDIER       . 


AND     BOM- 

Tofacej).  16 

1.  Cicindela  sylvatica  and  larva. 

2.  Cicindela  maritima  and  larva. 

3.  Cicindela  germanica  and  larva. 

4.  Broscus  cephalotes. 

5.  Brachinus  crepitans. 

6.  Carabus  monilis. 

PLA>fTS  : — 

Bramble  {Bubus  fruticosus).    Above. 
Heath    {Erica    cinerea).      Eight    of 

middle. 
Lavender  Thrift  {Statice  Limoniuin). 

Left  of  middle. 
Fern  {Pteris  aquilina).    Above  heath. 


GROUND  BEETLES      To  face  p.  Z2 

1.  Lebia  crux-minor. 

2.  Calosoma  inquisitor. 

3.  Carabiis  intricatus. 

4.  Cychrus  rostratus. 

5.  Calosoma,  larva  in  nest  of  Social 

caterpillar. 

6.  Carabus,  larva. 

Plants  : — 

Trunk  and  branch  of  Oak  {Qttercua 

Robur).     Above. 
"Wood  Anemone  {Anemone  oieworosa). 

Across  centre. 
Cowslip  {Primula  veris).     In  middle. 


PLATE  in. 

WATER  BEETLES    .     To  face  p.  bi 

1.  Dyticus  marginalis  (male). 

2.  D}'ticus  marginalis  (female). 

3.  Gyrinus  natator  (and  under). 

4.  Dyticus  marginalis,  larva. 
0.  Gyrinus  natator,  larva. 

6.  Gyrinus    natator,   pupa  case   (on 
arrow-head). 

Plants  : — 

Arrow-head  {Sagittaria  sagittifolia). 

Left  upper  corner. 
Creeping  Mouse-ear  {Myosotisr&petis). 

Eight  upper  corner. 
Bristle-stalk  Club-rush  {Scirpus  se- 

taceus).     Under  Myosotis. 
Water  Feather-foil  {Hottonia  palus- 

tris).     Under  arrow-head. 


LIST   OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


PLATE   IV. 

BOVE  BEETLES-  AND   BUSYING 
BEETLES         .     To  face  p.  76 

1.  Boletobius  atricapillus. 

2.  Ocypus  olens  (egss  below). 

3.  Staphj'linus  caesareus. 

4.  Neerophorus  liumator, 

5.  Neerophorus  vespillo. 

6.  Neerophorus  mortuorum. 

7.  Choleva  angustata. 

8.  Hister  bimaeulata. 

9.  Nitidula  depressa. 

10.  Boletobius  in  gills  of  mushroom. 

11.  Neerophorus  humator,  larva. 

12.  Silpha  thoracica,  larva. 

13.  Ocypus  olens,  larva. 

14.  Silpha  thoracica  (on  body  of  bird). 

Plant : — 

Edible  Mushroom  {Agaricus  campes- 
tris). 

PLATE  V. 

CHAFES  S         .        .     To  face  p.  114 

1.  Cetonia  aurata. 

2.  Melolontha  vulgaris  (male). 

3.  Geotrupes  stercorarius. 

4.  Lucanus  cervus. 

5.  Lucanus  eervus,  larva  (very  young). 

6.  Cetonia  aurata,  larva  (three  parts 

grown). 

7.  Cetonia    aurata    (pupa    cases    or 

cocoons). 

8.  Geotrupes       stercorarius,       larva 

(young). 

9.  Melolontha  vulgaris,  larva  (three 

parts  grown). 

Plant: — 

Wild  Eose  (Sosa  canina). 

PLATE  VL 

GLOW-WOSM,  OIL-BEETLES, 
WEEVILS,  LONG-HOSNS,  AND 
LADY-BISDS .         .     To  face  p.  192 

1.  Lampyris  noetiluca  (male). 

2.  Lampyris  noetiluca  (female). 

3.  Meloe  eieatricosus  (male). 

4.  Meloe  eieatricosus  (female). 


5.  Meloe     eieatricosus,     larva     (full 

grown). 

6.  Phytonomus  tigrinus. 

7.  Lixus  bieolor. 

8.  Lixus  bieolor,  nest. 

9.  Aromia  moschata. 

10.  Clytus  arietis. 

11.  Cassida  murina. 

12.  Coecinella  septempunetata. 

Plants  : — 

Willow  {Salix  alba).     Above. 
Wild  Carrot  {Daucus  carota).    Left 
of  middle. 

PLATE  VIL 

EASWIGS,      FIELD-COCKEOACH, 
AND  CRICKETS     .     To  face  f.  22% 

1.  Porfieula  gigantea. 

2.  Forficula  auricularia. 

3.  Blatta  germanica. 

4.  Blatta  germanica  (egg-case). 

5.  Gryllotalpa  vulgaris. 

6.  Gryllus  campestris. 

Plants  : — 

Great    Bindweed     {Convolvuhts    se- 

pium).     Above. 
Purple   Clover  {Trifolium  fratense). 

Right  of  middle. 

PLATE  VIII. 

DBA  G  ON-  FLIES,        MA  Y  -  FLIES, 
AND  CADDIS    .      To  face  p.  266 

1.  Ephemera  vulgata. 

2.  Ephemera,  larvp. 

3.  Libellula  depressa. 
3a.Libellula    emerging    from    pupa- 
case. 

4.  Libellula,  larva. 

5.  Calopteryx  virgo. 

6.  Agrion  minium. 

7.  Phryganea  grandis. 

8.  Phryganea,  larva  cases,  or  caddis. 

Plants  : — 

Flowering  Rush   (Butomus  umbella- 

tus).    In  centre. 
Mare's  Tail  (Hij^puris  vulgaris).     On 

right. 
Water    Bistort    (VoJygmnim    amphi' 

hlurti).     On  left. 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


XI 


PLATE  IX. 

SAW-FLIES,     GALL-FLIES,     AND 
SIREX  .         .     To  face  p.  300 

1.  Cimbex  lutea. 

2.  Cimbex,  cocoon. 

3.  Cimbex,  larva. 

4.  Lyda  hortensis. 

5.  Trichiosoma  lucorum. 

6.  Cynips  Kollari. 

7.  Sirex  juveucus  (male). 

Plants  : — 

Oak,  I'ir,  and  Hawthorn. 


PLATE  X. 

PAHASITIC    HYMENOPTERa. 

To  face  p.  324 

1.  Pezomaehus  zonatus  and  nests  of 

spider. 

2.  Pezomaehus  fasciatus. 

3.  Trogns  atropos. 

4.  Rhyssa  persuasoria. 

5.  Rhyssa  depositing  ee^gs. 

6.  Chelonus  oculator  (rather  luaani- 

fied). 

Caterpillar  of  Death's  Head  Moth. 
In  middle. 

Plants : — 

Willow.     Above. 

Dog-grass  {CynosiivKs).  In  middle, 
with  mnd-nests  of  Spider. 

Wood  Sorrel  ( Oxalis  acctoseUa).  Be- 
low. 


PLATE  XL 

ANTS,    WASPS,    AND    SOLITARY 
DEES      .         .     To  face  p.  350 

1.  Formica  rufa  and  nest. 

2.  Quedius  brevis. 

3.  Eumenes  and  nest. 

4.  Vespa  arborea  and  nest. 

5.  Andrena  nitida. 

6.  Andrena  Trimmerana. 

7.  Cilissa  haemorrhoidalis. 

8.  Nomada  ruficornis. 

9.  Stylops  melittae. 


Plants  : — 

Harebell. 

Common  Heath  (Erica  cinera),  with 

nest  of  Eumenes. 
Ivy. 

PLATE  XII. 

HUMDLE  DEES    .      To  face  p.  370 

1.  Bombus  lucorum  (female). 

2.  Bombus  muscorum  (female). 

3.  Apathus  vestalis  (female.) 

4.  Eucera  longicornis  (male). 

Plants  : — 

Hawthorn.     Above. 

Sea  Campion  {Silene  maritima).    Be- 
low. 

PLATE  XIII. 

DUTTERFLIES        .     To  face  p.  Z9 

1.  Vanessa  polychloros. 

2.  Vanessa  Atalanta. 

3.  Vanessa  cardui. 

Plants : — 

Meadow  Crane's  Bill  {Geranium pra- 

tense).    Above,  on  right. 
Buttercup  {Ranunculus  hulbosus).   In 

middle. 

PLATE  XIV. 

HAWK  MOTHS       .     To  face  p.  422 

1 .  Acherontia  atropos. 

2.  Acherontia  larva. 

3.  Macroglossa  stellatarum. 

4.  Macroglossa  fuciformis. 

Plant : — 

Potato. 


PLATE  XV. 

To  face  p.  444 


NIGHT  FLIERS 

1.  Chelonia  caja. 

2.  Lasiocampa  quercus 

3.  Saturnia  carpini. 

4.  Dicranura  vinula. 

Plants: — 

Oak  and  Willow 


Xll 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTEATIONS. 


PLATE   XVL 

GEOMETERS  AND  NOCTUM. 

To /ace  p.  462 

1.  Agrotis  segetum. 

2.  Agrotis  larva. 

3.  Xanthia  flavago. 

4.  Geometra  papilionaria. 

5.  Abraxas  grossulariata. 

6.  Abraxas  grossulariata,  larva. 

Plants  : — 

Currant  and  Strawberry. 

PLATE  XVn. 

DELTOIDS S,  T0RTRICE8,  TINEM, 
AND  PTEROPHORI. 

To  face  J).  504 

1.  Hypena  proboscidalis. 

2.  Hypena  proboscidalis,  larva. 

3.  Tortrix  pomonana. 

4.  Tortrix  pomonana,  larva. 
6.  Pterophonis  pentadactylus. 

6.  Pterophorus  pterodactylus. 

7.  Nepticula  aurella. 

8    Bramble-leaves  mined  by  Nepti- 
cula. 

Plants  : — 

Apple  and  Bramble. 

PLATE  XVIII. 

TERRESTRIAL  HOMOPTERA  AND 
HETEROPTERA  .  To  face  p.  538 

1.  Ledra  aurita. 

2.  Ledra  aurita,  larva. 


3.  Triepphora  sanguinolenta. 

4.  Pentatoma  dissimile. 

5.  Stenocephalia  agilis. 

Plants : — 

Great     Ragwort    {Senecio    Jacohea). 

Above. 
White  Dead  Nettle  {Lamimn  album). 

Below. 


PLATE   XIX. 

AQUATIC  HETEROPTERA. 

To  face  p,  684 

1.  Ranatra  linearis. 

2.  Notonecta  glauca. 

3.  Nepa  glauca. 

Plants : — 

Duckweed  {Lemna).     On  surface  of 

water. 
Various-leaved  Pondweed  (Potamnge- 

ton  hetercphylhis). 
Starwort  {Aster  tripolium). 


PLATE  XX. 


DIPTERA. 

1.  Tabanus  bovinus. 

2.  Conops  vesicularis. 

3.  Gasterophilus  equi. 

4.  Tachina  grossa. 

Plant : — 
Honeysuckle. 


To  face  p.  626 


LIST  OF  ILLQSTEATIONS.  xiii 


WOODCUTS. 

PAGE 

I.— LucANUs  CEUvus.  DISSECTION.  Parts  of  the  Head. — 1.  Mandibles,  or 
jaws.  2.  Antennje.  2a.  Scape.  2h.  Club.  3.  Labium,  or  lower  lip.  3a. 
Labial  palpi,  or  lip-feelers.  4.  Maxillae,  or  lower  jaws.  4a.  Maxillary 
palpi,  or  jaw-feelers.  5.  Head,  upper  surface.  5a.  Eyes.  6b.  Vertex,  or 
crown,  oc.  Occiput,  or  back  of  head.  5d.  Clypeus,  or  shield.  6.  Head, 
under  surface.  6a.  Eyes.  6b.  Insertion  of  antennae.  Parts  of  Thorax  and 
Abdomen. — 7.  Pronotum,  or  upper  surface  of  thorax.  7a.  Lateral  margin. 
76.  Anterior  margin.  7c.  Posterior  angles.  Id.  Po.sterior  margin.  7e. 
Anterior  angles.  8.  Prosternum,  or  under  surface  of  thorax.  8a.  Sternum. 
86.  Insertion  of  coxae.  9.  Mesothorax  and  upper  surface  of  abdomen.  9a. 
Mesothorax  alone.  96.  Abdomen,  upper  surface  alone.  10.  Metasternum 
and  abdomen.  10a.  Metasternum  alone.  106.  Abdomen,  under  surface 
alone.  10c.  Parapleura,  or  side-pieces.  \Qd.  Episterna,  or  breast-pieces. 
12.  Scutellum.  Legs. — 11.  Anterior  or  first  pair  of  legs.  11a.  Tarsi,  or 
feet.  116.  Tibia,  or  shank,  lie.  Femur,  or  thigh,  lid.  Trochanter, 
lie.  Coxa.  13.  Intermediate  pair  of  legs.  15.  Posterior  pair  of  legs. 
The  Wings.— 14.  Elytra.  14a.  Suture.  146.  Lateral  margin.  14c.  Apex. 
I4d.  Base.  14c.  Disc.  16.  AVings  folded  on  abdomen.  17.  Left  wing 
expanded.     18.  Eight  wing  folded 9 

II. — 1.  Dromius  quadrimaculatus.  2.  Lebia  cyanocephala.  3.  Tarus  axil- 
laris.    4.  Clivina  fossor.     5.  Notiophilus  biguttatus.     a.  Dromius,  maxilla. 

b.  Cicindela,  head.     c.  Cicindela,  maxillary  palpus,     d.  Tarus,  labial  palpi. 

c.  Notiophilus,  maxillary  palpi.    /.  Lebia,  maxillary  palpi  .         .         .15 

III. — 1.  Nebria  brevicoUis.  2.  Pogonus  luridipennis.  3.  Pristonychus  terri- 
eola.  4.  Sphodrus  leucopthalmus.  6.  Calathus  cisteloides.  a.  Nebria, 
labial  palpi.  6.  Nebria,  maxillary  palpus,  c.  Pogonus,  labial  palpi,  d. 
Pogonus,  maxillary  palpus  .........     ^^ 

IV.— 1.  Anchomenus  dorsalis.  2.  Pterostichus  madidus.  3.  Amara  obsoleta. 
4.  HiU'palus  aeneus.  5.  Stenolophus  Skrimshiranus.  a.  Pterostichus,  right 
mandible.  6.  Pterostichus,  maxillary  palpus,  c.  Harpalus,  under  side  of 
leg.     d.  Harpalus,  right  mandible,     e.  Harpalus,  maxillai^  palpus    .         .     44 

V. — 1.  ^pys  marinus.  2.  Philocthus  biguttatus.  3.  Notaphus  [Bembidium] 
fumigatus.  4.  Bembidium  quadriguttatum.  5.  Bembidium  pallidipenne. 
a.  ^pys,    maxillary   palpus.     6.  ^pys,  labial   palpi,     c.  M^ys,   labrum. 

d.  -Slpys,  right  mandible,     e.  JEpys,  antenna     ......     47 

VI. — 1.  Agabus  biguttatus.  2.  Hydrophilus  duodecim-pustulatus.  3.  Hali- 
plus  variegatus.  4.  Cnemidotus  caesus.  5.  Pelobius  Hermanni.  a.  Dyticus, 
process  of  metasternum.  6.  Dyticus,  maxillary  palpus,  c.  Dyticus,  an- 
terior leg  of  male.  d.  Dyticus,  labial  palpi,  e.  Gyrinus,  posterior  leg. 
f.  Gryrinus,  antenna 55 


nv  LIST -OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 

PAGE 

VII. — 1.  Falagria  sulcata.  2.  Aleochara  fuscipes.  "  3.  Atemeles  emarginatus. 
4.  Oxypoda  luteipennis.  5.  Homalota  brunnea.  a.  Staphj'linus,  anterior 
tarsus  of  female,  undilated.  b.  Staphylinus,  anterior  tarsus  of  male, 
dilated,  c.  Staphylinus,  closing  its  wings  with  extremity  of  its  tail.  d. 
Falagria,  maxillary  palpus,  e.  Falagria,  right  mandible.  /.  Falagria, 
labial  palpi,    g.  Falagria,  antenna 68 

VIII. — 1.  Gyrophsena  gentilis.     2.  Quedius  dilatatus.     3.  Creophilus  maxil- 
■   losus.     4.  Philonthus  marginatus.     5.  Xantholinus  glabratus.     a.  Philon- 
thus,  right  mandible,     b.  Quedius,  right  mandible,     c.  Philonthus,  labial 
palpi,     d.  Quedius,  labial  palpi,     e.  Philonthus,  antenna  .         .         .         .72 

IX. — 1.  Stilicus  fragilis.  2.  Stenus  bimaculatus.  3.  Omalium  florale.  4. 
Prognatha  quadricornis.  5/  Micralymma  brevipenne.  a.  Stenus,  ligula. 
b.  Stenus,  left  mandible,  c.  Stilicus,  right  mandible,  d.  Prognatha, 
maxillary  palpus,  e.  Prognatha,  labium.  /.  Stilicus,  maxillary  palpus. 
g.  Stenus,  maxillary  palpus        .........     82 

X.^-1.  Necrodes  littoralis.  2.  Scydmsenus  tarsatus.  3.  Anisotoma  cinna- 
momea,  male.  4.  Agathidium  Isevigatum.  5.  Meligethes  seneus.  a.  Scyd- 
msenus,  antenna,  b.  Meligethes,  maxilla,  c.  Anisotoma,  labial  palpi,  d. 
Necrodes,  maxillary  palpus,  e.  Necrodes,  labium.  /.  Necrodes,  antenna. 
g.  Anisotoma,  antenna        ..........     92 

XI. — 1.  Ehizophagus  feiTugineus.  2.  Colydium  elcngatum.  3.  Anommatus 
duodecim-striatus.  4.  Cryptophagus  pilosus.  5.  Mycetophagus  quadripus- 
tulatus.  6.  Dermestes  murinus.  a.  Khizophagus,  antenna,  b.  Colydium, 
antenna,  c.  Anommatus,  antenna,  d.  Dermestes,  pupa.  e.  Colydium, 
larva.  /.  Dermestes,  larva,  g.  Cryptophagus,  antenna,  h.  Mycetophagus, 
antenna,     i.  Dermestes,  antenna        .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .100 

XII. — 1.  Byrrhus  faseiatus.  2.  Elmis  seneus.  3.  Heterocerus  flexuosus.  4. 
Hydrous  piceus,  male.  a.  Byrrhus,  antenna,  b.  Ebnis,  antenna,  c. 
Heterocerus,  antenna,  d.  Hydrous,  fore  leg  of  female,  e.  Hydrous,  an- 
tenna of  male.    /.  Hydrous,  larva 106 

XIII.— 1.  Typhoeus  fumatus.  2.  Cereyon  anale.  3.  Dorcus  parallelopipedus. 
4.  Agrilus  biguttatus.  5.  Elatcr  sanguineus,  a.  Agrilus,  antenna,  b. 
Typhoeus,  head  of  female,  c.  Elater,  antenna,  d.  Elater,  head,  under 
side.     e.  Elater,  larva.    /.  Agrilus,  larva .120 

XIV. — 1.  Campy lus  linearis.  2.  Telephorus  fuscus.  3.  Clerus  formicarius. 
4.  Anobium  striatum.  5.  Mezium  sulcatum,  a.  Mezium,  side  view.  b. 
Mezium,  antenna,  c.  Anobium,  antenna,  d.  Anobium,  larva,  e.  Clei-us, 
larva.    /.  Telephorus,  larva 131 

XV. — 1.  Blaps  mortisaga.  2.  Diaperis  boleti.  3.  Tenebrio  molitor.  4. 
Melandrya  caraboides.  5.  Orchesia  undulata.  a.  Blaps,  larva,  b.  Melan- 
drya,  larva,  c.  Tenebrio,  larva,  d.  Blaps,  antenna,  e.  Diaperis,  antenna. 
/.  Tenebrio,  antenna,    g.  Melandrya,  antenna,     h.  Orchesia,  antenna        .  144 

XV.* — 1.  Sitaris  humeralis.  2.  Clerus  apiarius.  3.  Drilus  flavescens,  female. 
4.  Drilus  flavescens,  male.  5.  Rhipiphorus  paradoxus,  a.  Balaninus 
nueuni,  head.  b.  Rhipiphorxis,  larva,  c.  Rhipiphorus,  antenna,  male.  d. 
Rhipiphorus,  antenna,  female,     e.  Meloe,  young  larva,  magnified        .         ,  147 


LIST   OF   ILLUSTRATIONS.  XV 

PAGE 

XVI.  —  1.  Pyrochroa  coccinea.  2.  Anaspis  ruficoUis.  3.  Lytta  vesicatoria. 
4.  Bruchiis  rufimanus.  5.  Platyrhinus  latirostris.  a.  Pyrochroa,  larva. 
b.  Platyrhinus,  larva,  c.  Bruehus,  larva,  d.  Pyrochroa,  antenna,  e. 
Lytta,  antenna.  /.  Bruehus,  antenna,  g.  Platyrhinus,  antenna,  h. 
Anaspis,  antenna,     i.  Lytta,  claws,    j.  Platyrhinus,  tarsus        .         .         .  149 

XVII. — 1.  Attelabus  curculionoides.  2.  Rhynchites  Bacchus.  3.  Apion 
carduorum.  4.  Sitones  lineatus.  6.  Cleonus  nebulosus.  a.  Attelabus, 
antenna,  h.  Rhynchites,  antenna,  c.  Apion,  antenna,  d.  Attelabus, 
tarsus,  c.  Rhynchites,  tarsus.  /.  Apion,  tarsus,  g.  Rhynchites,  maxillary 
palpus,     h.  Rhyncliites,  labium  .         .         .         .         .         .         ,         .166 

XVIII. — 1.  Molytcs  germanus.  2.  Otiorhynchus  picipes.  3.  Pissodes  pini. 
4.  Authonomus  pomorum.  5.  Balaninus  nucum.  u.  Otiorhynchus,  antenna. 
b.  Otiorhynchus,  lorva.  c.  Authonomus,  antenna,  d.  Authonomus,  maxil- 
lary palpus,     e.  Anthonomus,  labial  palpi.    /.  Balaninus,  pupa  .         .  171 

XIX. — 1.  Tychius  venustus.  2.  Orchestes  fagi.  3.  Orobites  cyaneus.  4. 
Coeliodes  quercus.  o.  Sitophilus  oryzae.  a.  Coeliodes,  head.  b.  Orchestes, 
head.     c.  Orchestes,  hind  leg.     d.  Orchestes,  antenna         .         .         .         .181 

XX. — 1.  Hylesinus  crenatus.  2.  Scolytus  destructor.  3.  Prionus  coriarius. 
4.  Tomicus  typographicus.  5.  Callidium  violaceum.  a.  Prionus,  larva. 
b.  Tomicus,  larva,     c.  Scolytus,  larva         .         .         .         .         .         .         .187 

XXI. — 1.  Gracilia  pygmaea.  2.  Strangalia  armata.  3.  Astinomus  sedilis. 
4.  Pogonocerus  pilosus.     5.  Rhagium  inquisitor         .         .         ,         ...  198 

XXn. —  1.  Donaeia  Menyanthidis.  2.  Crioceris  merdigera.  3.  Chrysomela 
Staphylsea.  4.  Cryptocephalus  coryli.  5.  Timarcha  laevigata,  a.  Chryso- 
mela, antenna,  b.  Cryptocephalus,  antenna,  c.  Cryptocephalus,  labial 
palpi,  d.  Cryptocephalus,  maxillary  palpus,  e.  Donaeia,  antenna.  /'. 
Crioceris,  antenna      ...........  204 

XXIII. — 1.  Prasocuris  beccabungse.  2.  Phyllotreta  brassiere.  3.  Psylliodes 
hyoscyami.     4.  Cassida  viridis.     5.  Triplax  russica.     a.  Phyllotreta,  larva. 

b.  Cassida,   larva,     c.  Cassida,   pupa.     d.  Cassida,    maxillary  palpus,     e. 
Cassida,  labial  palpi 210 

XXrV. — 1.  Coccinella  ocellata.  2.  Lycoperdina  bovistse.  3.  Trichopteryx 
atomaria.  4.  Pselaphus  Heisei.  5.  Claviger  foveolatus.  a.  Coccinella, 
larva,  b.  Coccinella,  maxillary  palpus,  c.  Coccinella,  labium,  d.  Cocci- 
nella, antenna,     e.  Coccinella,  leg      ........  216 

XXV. — 1.  Pachytylus  migratorius.  2.  Thamnotrizon  cinereus.  a.  Forceps 
of  Forfieula  gigantea,  male.  b.  Dp.  female,  c.  Do.  Forficula  auricularia, 
male.  d.  Do.  female,  e.  Blatta  orientalis,  egg-case.  f.  Do.  section,  g. 
Gryllotalpa,  inside  of  front  tibia,  h.  Do.  outside,  i.  Do.  labium,  j.  Do. 
maxilhi  and  palpus    ...........  226 

XXVI. — 1.  Perla  marginata.  2.  Limucphilus  bicolor.  3.  Phryganea  minor. 
4.  Leptocerus  cchraceus.    a.  Limnephilus,  labium,    b.  Limnephilus,  maxilla. 

c.  Lalium,  female,     d.  Labium,   male.     e.   Anal   appendages,   or    clasper, 
male  .............  264 


XVI  LIST   OF  ILLUSTEATIONS. 

PAGE 

XXVn. — 1.  Phlseothrips  coriacea.  2.  Cordulegaster  annulatus.  3.  Raphidia 
ophiopsis.  4.  Chrysopa  vulgaris.  6.  Osmylus  chrysops.  a.  Eggs  of 
Chrysopa 276 

XXVIII. — Anatomy  of  a  htmenopterotjs  insect. — the  hoenet  (tespa 
CEABHo).  1 .  Head  and  parts  of  the  mouth,  a.  Lingua,  or  tongue,  b  b. 
Labial  palpi,  cc.  Maxillary  palpi,  d  d.  Maxillse.  ee.  Mandibles,  ff. 
Eyes,  g g.  Toruli,  or  beds  of  the  base  of  the  antennae,  hh.  Ocelli,  or 
simple  eyes ;  sometimes  called  Stemmata.  i.  Clypeus.  k.  Labrum.  I. 
Epipharyns.  2.  Thorax,  a.  Mesothorax.  b  b.  Teg;ila;.  c.  Seutellum. 
d:  Prothorax.  e.  Postscutellum.  /.  Metathorax.  3.  Abdomen,  upper 
surface.  4.  Abdomen,  profile.  5.  Head,  front  view,  a  a.  Antennae,  b  b. 
Eyes,  c  c.  Ocelli,  d.  Seutellum.  e  e.  Mandibles.  6.  Thorax,  under  sur- 
face, a.  Bed  of  coxse  of  pro-legs.  b.  Sternum,  c.  Bed  of  coxse  of  inter- 
mediate legs.  d.  Bed  of  coxse  of  posterior  legs.  e.  Bed  of  neck.  7. 
Anterior  or  pro-legs.  a.  Tarsus,  b.  Tibia,  c.  Femur,  d.  Trochanter. 
e.  Coxa.  8.  Middle  or  intermediate  legs.  9.  Hinder  or  posterior  legs. 
10.  Right  wings,  a.  Costal  celL  b.  Extern o-medial  cell.  c.  Interno- 
medial  cell.  d.  Anal  cell.  e.  Marginal  cell.  /.  First  Submarginal  cell. 
g.  Second  Discoidal  cell.  h.  Second  Submarginal  cell.  i.  Third  Sub- 
marginal  cell.  k.  Fourth  Submarginal  cell.  I.  First  Discoidal  cell.  m. 
Third  Discoidal  cell.  n.  First  Apical  cell.  o.  Second  Apical  cell.  11. 
Left  wings  separated .  296 

XXIX. —  1.  Hylotoma  rosse.  2.  Croesus  septentrionalis.  3.  Athalia  spinarum. 
4.  AUantus  scrophularia.  a.  Croesus,  larva,  b.  Athalia,  larva,  c.  Al- 
lantus,  larva,  d.  Hylotoma,  antenna,  e.  Croesus,  antenna.  /.  Athalia, 
antenna,    g.  Allantus,  antenna  ........  299 

XXX. — 1.  Cimbex  lutea.  2.  Tenthredo  zonatiis.  3.  Cryptus  pallipes.  4. 
Lophyrus  pini.  a.  Cimbex,  larva,  b.  Lophyrus,  larva,  c.  Lophyrus, 
cocoon,     d.  Do.  antenna,  male.     e.  Do.  antenna,  female     ....  301 

XXXI. — 1.  Ichneumon  proteus.  2.  Ichneumon  crassorius.  3.  Tryphon 
rutilator.  4.  Cryptus  migrator.  5.  Pimpla  instigator,  a.  Tryphon,  larva. 
b.  Pimpla  instigator,  female,  profile  of  abdomen,  c.  Do.  dried  specimen. 
d.  Do.  seen  from  beneath,     e.  Do.  abdomen  of  male 321 

XXXII. — 1.  Microgaster  glomeratus.  2.  Mymar  pulchellus.  3.  Teleas 
elatior.  4.  Cleonymus  maculipennis.  a.  Teleas,  antenna,  female,  b.  Do. 
antenna,  male.  c.  Microgaster,  larva  in  caterpillar  of  cabbage-butterfly. 
d.  Coeoons  of  Microgaster  alvearius 320 

XXXIIL— 1.  Chrysis  ignita.  2.  Mutilla  Europsea,  female.  3.  Mutilla 
Europsea,  male.  4.  Formica  rufa,  winged  female.  5.  Do.  neuter  or 
worker.  6.  Do.  winged  male.  a.  Formica  rufa,  labium,  b.  Do.  antenna, 
male.     c.  Do.  antenna,  worker  .........  330 

XXXIV. — 1.  Pompilus  fuscus.  2.  Astata  boops.  3.  Mellinus  arvensis.  4. 
Crabro  quadrimaculatus.  5.  Cerceris  arvensis.  a.  Pompilus,  maxilla  and 
palpus,  b.  Do.  labium,  c.  Mellinus,  mandible,  d.  Do.  labium,  e.  Do. 
maxilla  and  palpus.    /.  Crabro,  larva,    g.  Astata,  head  of  female     .         .  342 


LIST   OF  ILLUSTRATIONS.  xvil 


XXXV. — 1.  Vespa  crabro.  female.  2.  Vespa  vulgaris,  female.  3.  Halictus 
rubieundus,  female.  4.  Dasypoda  hirtipes,  female,  a.  Vespa  crabro,  head 
of  male.  b.  Dasypoda,  leg  of  male.  c.  Do.  liead  of  male.  d.  Halictus, 
head  of  male.  e.  Do.  abdomen  of  male.  /.  Vespa  vulgaris,  head  of  male. 
g.  Vespa  ai-borea,  head.     h.  Vespa  vulgaris,  head  of  female       .         .         .  349 

XXXVI. — 1.  Coelioxys  simplex,  male.  2.  Do.  female.  3.  Melecta  armata, 
feiJiale.     4.  Osmia  rufa,  female.     5.  Megachile  centuncularis,  female  .  3G2 

XXXVII. — 1.  Anthidiu*m  manicatum.  2.  Bombus  lapidarius,  female.  3. 
Do.  neuter.     4.  Do.  male.     a.  Tongue  of  Anthidium.     6.  Tongue  of  Bombus. 

c.  Mandible  of  Anthidium 366 

XXXVIII.  —  1.  Apis  mellifica,  female.  2.  Do.  male.  3.  Do.  neuter,  a.  An- 
tenna, female,  b.  Hind  leg,  male.  c.  Tongue  of  male.  d.  Antenna, 
male.  e.  Mandible,  male.  /.  Hind  leg,  neuter,  ff.  Hind  leg,  female. 
k.  Sting  and  venom  glands 375 

XXXIX. — I.  Front  view  of  head.  II.  Side  view.  III.  Fore  wing. — 1-5.  Sub- 
costal nervules.  6,  7.  Discoidal  nervules.  8-10.  Median  nervules.  11. 
Submedian  nervure.  12.  Internal  nervure.  13-15.  Disco-cellular  nervules. 
16.  Interno-median  nervule.  17-  Median  nervure.  18.  Subcostal  nervure. 
a.  Costal  nerviu'e.    b.  Costa,  or  anterior  margin,    c.  Apex,  or  anterior  angle. 

d.  Posterior  or  hind  margin.  e.  Posterior  or  anal  angle.  /.  Interior  or 
inner  margin,  g.  Base.  k.  Discoidal  cell.  IV.  Hind  wing. — 1,  2.  Sub- 
costal ner\'ules.  3.  Discoidal  nervule.  4-6.  Median  nervules.  7.  Sub- 
median  nervure.  8.  Precostal  nervure.  9.  Subcostal  nervure.  10.  Median  • 
nervure.  11,12.  Disco-cellular  nervules.  a.  Costal  nervure.  6.  Costa,  or 
anterior  margin,  c.  Appx,  or  anterior  angle,  d.  Hiod  margin,  e.  Tail, 
or  caudal  appendage.  /.  Anal  angle,  g.  Abdominal  or  inner  margin,  h. 
Base.  V.  Underside  of  bod^. — 1-7.  Abdominal  segments.  8.  Caudal  or 
anal  extremity,     a.  Antennae,     b.  Tarsus,     c.  Tibia,     d.  Femur,     e.  Palpi. 

/.  The  head.     g.  The  thorax,     h.  Abdomen 385 

XL. — 1.  Gonepteryx  rhamni.  2.  Colias  edusa,  male.  3.  Picris  brassicae. 
a.  Pieris,  larva,  b.  Do.  pupa.  c.  Do.  egg.  e.  Do.  palpus.  /.  Do.  head. 
g.  Do.  claw  of  foot.     d.  Larva  of  Colias 390 

XLL  — 1.  Vanessa  antiopa.  2.  Grapta  C.  album.  3.  Argynnis  aglaia.  a. 
Argynnis,  larva,     b.  Argynnis,  pupa 395 

XLII. — 1.  Arge  Galathea.  '2.  Erebia  blandina.  3.  Apatura  Iris.  a.  Apa- 
tura,  non-walking  fore-leg.     b.  Do.  club  of  antenna,     c.  Do.  larva     .         .  404 

XLIII. — 1.  Polyommatus  dispar,  female.      2.  Do.  male,  under  surface.      3. 

Polyommatus  Adonis.      4.  Hcsperia  Paniseus.      5.  Hesperia  alveolus,      a. 

Polyommatus  dispar,  larva,  b.  Do.  pupa.  c.  Do.  antenna,  d.  Do.  palpus  409 
XLIV. — 1.    Anthrocera   filipendulae.      2.    Sesia  apiformis.      3.    Deilephila 

euphorbiae.  a.  Deilephila,  larva,  b.  Anthrocera,  larva,  c.  Do.  cocoon  .  418 
XLV. — 1.  Zeuzera  aesculi.      2.  Cossus  ligniperda.      a.  Zeuzera,  larva.      b. 

Cossus,  larva     ............  429 

XLVI. — 1.  Callimorpha  Jacobeae.      2.  Deiopeia  pulchella.      3.  Gastropacha 

quercifolia.      a.  CaUimorpha,  larva,     b.  Deiopeia,  larva,     c.  Gastropacha, 

larva 435 

a 


XX  LIST   OF   ILLUSTRATIONS. 

PAGE 

LXXVII. —  1.  Hippobosca  equina.  2.  Stenopteryx  hirundinis.  a.  Hippo- 
bosca  equina,  antenna,  b.  Do.  maxilla,  c.  Do.  fore-leg.  d.  Stenopteryx 
hirundinis,  fore-leg.     e.  Do.  lip  and  tongue.    /.  Do.  antenna      .         .         .  641 

LXXVIII.— 1.  Hsemobora  pallipes.  2.  Nyctoribia  Latreilli.  a.  Hsemobora, 
front  view.  b.  Do.  leg.  c.  Do.  mentum.  d,  Nyctoribia,  leg.  e.  Do. 
head,  side  view  ...........  644 

LXXIX. — 'Setting' Insects  for  the  cabinet 646 


INSECTS  AT    HOME. 


CHAPTER   I. 
I  NT  ROD  UCTION. 


mHERE  is  scarcely  a  branch  of  science,  however  interestinj? 
X  it  may  be,  which  does  not  at  first  repel  the  intending  student 
Dy  the  array  of  strange  words  with  which  the  treasures  of  know- 
ledge are  surrounded.  This  is  especially  the  case  in  Botany 
and  Zoology,  which  contain,  in  addition  to  the  usual  technical 
language,  vast  numbers  of  names  belonging  to  various  plants 
or  animals,  each  name  consisting  of  two  words,  one  denoting 
the  genus  and  the  other  the  species. 

That  many  have  been  deterred  from  pursuing  a  study  hedged 
about  with  such  difficulties  is  not  a  matter  of  wonder,  and  it 
is  much  to  be  regretted  that  writers  on  science  too  often 
increase  rather  than  lessen  the  difficulties  by  their  purely 
technical  mode  of  handling  the  subject.  The  real  cause  of  the 
general  repugnance  to  science  is  to  be  found  in  the  mode  of 
writing  adopted  by  too  many  scientific  writers,  who  forget  the 
first  principles  of  instructive  writing,  and  do  not  identify 
themselves  with  the  minds  of  those  whom  they  are  endeavour- 
ing to  teach. 

The  study  of  Entomology,  or  the  knowledge  of  insects,  has 
greatly  suffered  from  this  cause.  It  is  one  of  the  most  fas- 
cmating  of  pursuits.  It  takes  its  votaries  into  the  treasure- 
houses  of  Nature,  and  explains  some  of  the  wonderful  series  of 
links  -which  form  the  great  chain  of  creation.     It  lays  open 


2  INSECTS   AT  HOME. 

before  us  another  world,  of  which  w*^  have  been  hitherto  un- 
conscious, and  shows  us  that  even  the  tiniest  insect,  so  small' 
perhaps  tnat  the  "unaided  eye  can  scarcely  see  it,  has  its  work 
to  do  in  tne  world,  and  does  it.  Among  the  insects,  too,  we  find 
not  only  instinct,  but  reason.  We  find  that  in  these  lesser 
creatures  the  passions  and  emotions  of  humanity  have  their 
counterparts.  Love,  for  example,  developes  itself  in  many 
ways,  and  so  does  hate  ;  and,  indeed,  if  the  whole  list  of  human 
qualities  be  examined,  there  is  scarcely  one  which  cannot  be 
found  in  the  insect  world. 

The  habits  of  insects  are  very  mines  of  interesting  knowledge, 
and  it  is  impossible  carefully  to  watch  the  proceedings  of  any 
insect,  however  insignificant,  without  feeling  that  no  writer  of 
fiction  ever  invented  a  drama  of  such  absorbing  interest  as  is 
acted  daily  before  our  eyes,  though  to  indifferent  spectators. 
Thus,  even  in  the  mere  structure  of  insects  there  is  more  than 
enough  material  for  the  study  of  a  lifetime.  Putting  aside  the 
wonderful  internal  mechanism,  which  ought  to  be  examined 
when  pi-acticable,  the  outward  form  is  full  of  interest.  We 
find  among  insects  a  variety  and  brilliancy  of  colour  that  not 
even  the  most  gorgeous  tropical  flowers  can  approach,  and  that 
some  of  our  dullest  and  most  insigni+^cant  little  insects  are, 
when  placed  under  the  revealing  lens  of  the  microscope,  ab- 
solutely blazing  with  natural  jewellery.  The  variety  of  form, 
too,  is  quite  as  boundless  as  that  of  colour,  so  that  there  is 
much  excuse  even  for  the  mere  collector,  who  cares  nothing  for 
insects  unless  he  can  kill  them  and  set  them  in  rows  in  a  cabinet. 

In  the  following  pages  I  intend  to  describe,  as  far  as  possible 
within  so  limited  a  space.  Insects  at  Home,  and,  though  giving  the 
needful  scientific  information,  to  use  few  technical  terms,  and 
always  to  explain  those  which  of  necessity  must  be  employed. 

Our  first  business  is  evidently,  when  treating  of  Insects  at 
Home,  to  define  precisely  what  an  insect  is.  This  seems  to  be  a 
simple  matter  enough ;  but  it  really  is  not  so,  the  question  being 
one  which  has  occupied  systematic  zoologists  for  many  years,  and 
which  is  even  now  rather  a  dubious  one  in  several  cases.  The 
word  insect  is,  as  a  rule,  employed  very  loosely  by  those  who  have 
not  studied  the  subject.  Spiders,  for  example,  are  generally 
called  insects,  and  so  are  woodlice,  centipedes,  and  a  variety 


DEFINITION   OF  AN  INSECT.  3 

of  other  creatures  which  have  really  no  right  whatever  to  the 
'title.     We  will  therefore  see  what  an  insect  really  is. 

Insects  are  technically  described  as  being  ^articulated  am- 
maLy  breathing  by  trachew,  divided  into  three  distinct  portions 
— viz.  the  head,  the  thorax,  and  the  abdomen— passing  through 
a  series  of  transformations,  and  having  in  the  perfect  o-i 
"  winged  "  state  six  articulated  legs  and  two  antennas.' 

We  will  now  take  this  description  and  examine  it  in  detail. 
The  articulated  animal^  are  formed  on  a  totally  different  plan 
from  the  vertebrates,  molluscs,  radiata,  or  other  divisions  of 
the  animal  kingdom.  Their  bodies  are  formed  of  a  series  of 
flattened  rings,  within  which  are  contained  all  the  muscles 
and  vital  apparatus.  Jt  will  be  seen  that  a  vast  number  of 
animals  come  within  this  "definition,  which  includes  not  only 
the  insects,  but  the  Crustacea,  such  as  the  crabs,  lobsters, 
shrimps,  woodlice,  and  others;  the  Arachnida,  such  as  the 
spiders,  scorpions,  and  mites;  the  Myriapoda,  such  as  the 
centipedes  and  millipedes ;  and  the  Annelida,  of  which  the 
common  worm  is  a  familiar  example.  It  is  necessary,  there- 
fore, to  find  some  mode  of  distinguishing  the  insects  from  all 
the  other  articulates,  and,  after  much  trouble,  systematic 
naturalists  have  agreed  upon  the  short  formula  which  has 
already  been  given. 

It  is  there  stated  that  insects  breathe  through  '  tracheae.' 
Now  trachea  are  tubes  composed  of  thin  membranes,  kept 
open  by  a  fine  but  stiff  wiry  thread,  which  is  twisted  spirally 
throughout  the  whole  course  of  the  tube,  just  as  a  modem 
flexible  gas-tube  is  kept  open  by  a  spiral  wire,  no  matter  how 
it  may  be  twisted  or  bent.  This  is  absolutely  necessary  in 
insects,  for  the  tracheae  are  not  confined  to  a  single  portion  of 
the  body,  like  the  lungs  of  men  or  the  gills  of  fish,  but  per- 
meate the  entire  insect,  passing  through  all  the  limbs,  and  even 
reaching  to  the  claws  which  terminate  the  feet.  A-ay  of  my 
readers  who  wish  to  see  the  extraordinary  manner  in  which  the 
breathing  apparatus  is  disposed  over  the  whole  body -should 
look  at  the  plates  of  Strauss  Durckheim's  wonderful  work  on 
the  common  cockchafer,  a  work  to  praise  which  would  be 
simply  impertinent. 

I  strongly  advise  all  my  readers  to  examine  these  marvellous 
structures  for  themselves.     There  is  not  the  least  difficulty  in 

B  2 


4  INSECTS  AT   H0:ME. 

finding  them,  for  the  real  difficulty  is  to  dissect  any  part  of 
the  body  without  finding  them.  The  largest  of  these  tubes* 
are  those  which  run  along  the  sides  of  the  insect,  and  are  con- 
nected with  the  oval  openings  along  the  sides,  which  are  pos- 
sessed by  every  insect.  These  openings  are  called  spiracles, 
from  the  Latin  word  sj^iro,  because  through  them  the  insect 
breathes.  Any  insect  or  caterpillar  will  furnish  the  tracheoe, 
but  the  larger  the  better.  They  should  be  severed  from  the 
body  by  a  pair  of  fine  scissors,  then  taken  out  with  a  pair  of 
forceps,  and  laid  on  a  glass  slide.  I  have  now  before  me  a 
preparation  of  the  tracheae  of  a  silkworm  which  I  made  twenty- 
two  years  ago,  and  it  is  not  the  least  damaged  by  keeping. 

These  tracheae  afford  a  most  important  characteristic  of  the 
insects,  inasmuch  as  the  Crustacea  do  not  possess  them  at  all, 
and  the  Arachnida  generally,  though  not  always,  breathe  by 
means  of  internal  air-sacs. 

Next,  the  creature  must  be  divided  into  three  distinct  portions. 
This  is  the  signification  of  the  title  Insect,  which  is  derived 
from  two  Latin  words,  signifying  cut-into,  while  the  familiar 
Greek  name  of  Entonia  (from  which  the  word  entomology  is 
formed)  has  precisely  the  same  signification.  This  is,  perhaps, 
the  most  important  of  all  the  characteristics,  as  in  the  Crustacea 
and  Arachnida  the  head  is  merged  into  the  thorax,  so  that  they 
are  divided  into  two  portions  instead  of  three ;  while  in  the 
Myriapoda  and  Annelida  there  is  no  distinct  thorax,  and  some- 
times scarcely  a  distinct  head. 

Next  we  come  to  the  transformations  which  insects  have  to 
undergo  before  they  reach  their  perfect  or  adult  state.  All 
animals  really  undergo  a  course  of  transformation,  but  in  the 
insect  they  take  four  very  distinct  forms  ;  namely,  the  Egg, 
the  Larva  (i.e.  caterpillar  or  grub),  the  Pupa  (or  chrysalis),  and 
the  Imago,  or  perfect  insect.  Any  of  my  readers  who  have 
had  silkworms  will  be  practically  acquainted  with  this  fact, 
and  will  also  know  that  the  larva  changes  its  skin,  or  moults, 
several  times  before  it  assumes  the  pupal  form.  The  reason 
for  this  casting  of  skin  is  evident.  The  larva,  like  the  perfect 
insect,  is  made  of  a  series  of  flattened  rings,  or  rather,  of  a 
double  series  of  half  rings,  connected  along  the  sides  ly  an 
elastic  membrane,  so  as  to  permit  the  creature  to  breathe  and 
eat. 


TRANSFORMATION  OF  INSECTS.  5 

Now,  the  upper  and  lower  portions  of  these  rings  are  com- 
paratively inelastic,  and  cannot  themselves  expand,  though 
they  can  be  opened  wider  at  the  sides  in  proportion  to  the 
interior  expansion  of  the  body.  Meanwhile,  the  larva  continues 
busily  its  sole  business,  that  of  eating,  and  increases  rapidly  in 
size,  so  that,  within  a  certain  time,  its  skin  is  stretched  to  the 
utmost,  and  can  expand  no  more.  Still  the  larva  continues  to 
increase,  though  its  tight  integuments  cause  it  so  much  un- 
easiness that  it  ceases  to  eat,  and  at  last  the  overstretched 
skin  bursts,  and  the  larva  emerges,  clad  with  a  new  skin,  which 
has  been  forming  under  the  old  one.  As  soon  as  it  is  free,  it 
takes  a  number  of  deep  respirations,  and  in  half  an  hour,  or 
thereabouts,  is  so  much  larger  than  its  cast  skin,  that  to  put 
it  back  again  would  be  fatal.  This  process  is  repeated  until 
the  larva  is  about  to  assume  the  third  or  pupal  state. 

In  consequence  of  this  mode  of  development,  the  whole  of 
the  growth  is  completed  during  the  larval  state,  and,  however 
long  an  insect  may  live,  it  never  grows  after  it  has  attained  its 
perfect  form ;  and,  though  it  is  common  enough  to  find  insects 
though  of  the  same  species  yet  of  very  different  sizes,  the  larger 
have  not  grown  since  their  last  change,  nor  will  the  small 
specimens  ever  attain  the  dimensions  of  their  larger  relatives. 
In  a  measure,  the  same  rule  prevails  among  mankind,  and, 
though  some  may  be  giants  and  other  dwarfs,  the  dwarf  will 
never  become  a  giant,  nor  has  the  giant  ever  been  a  dwarf,  and, 
different  as  are  their  sizes,  both  ceased  to  grow  when  they 
attained  the  age  of  manhood. 

The  modes  of  passing  through  the  successive  changes  of  form 
are  exceedingly  variable  in  the  different  orders  of  insects,  and 
are  always  most  interesting  to  careful  observers.  I  shall  not 
mention  them  in  this  place,  but  shall  give  the  descriptions  of 
the  metamorphoses  together  with  the  history  of  the  diflferent 
species. 

Next  in  order  comes  the  statement  that  all  true  insects 
have  six  legs  when  they  have  attained  the  perfect  form,  or 
Imago.  The  reader  will  see  that  this  definition  at  once  ex- 
cludes all  other  Annulata.  The  Crustacea,  for  example,  have 
a  considerable  number  of  legs,  and  the  Arachnida  are  eight- 
legged,  while  the  Myriapoda  are,  as  their  name  infers,  many- 
legged,    and   the    Annelida  have    no  legs   at  all.     It  is  true 


6  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

that  ill  some  insects  there  only  appear  to  be  four  legs,  but, 
in  these  cases,  the  apparently  missing  organs  may  be  dis- 
covered on  careful  examination,  much  reduced  in  size,  but  still 
present. 

A  similar  observation  may  be  made  with  regard  to  the  an- 
tennae, or,  as  they  are  popularly  called,  '  horns,'  or  '  feelers.' 
The  word  antenna  is  a  Latin  one,  signifying  the  yard-arm  of  a 
ship,  and  has  been  appropriately  given  to  these  organs.  In 
most  cases  the  antennae  give  great  character  to  the  aspect  of 
an  insect.  In  some  of  the  Beetles,  for  example,  they  are  slender, 
and  each  joint  is  so  lengthened  that  the  antennae  are  five  times 
as  long  as  the  body.  In  others  they  are  comparatively  short, 
sometimes  deeply  toothed  like  combs,  sometimes  terminated 
with  a  round  club,'  sometimes  with  the  ends  developed  into  a 
beautiful  fan-like  apparatus,  and  sometimes  looking  like  a 
number  of  coins  joined  together  by  a  string  running  through 
their  centre.  The  knob-tipped  antennae  of  the  butterflies  are 
an  unfailing  characteristic  whereby  these  insects  can  be  dis- 
tinguished from  the  moths,  with  their  sharp-tipped  antennae ; 
while  in  the  latter  group  of  insects,  the  antennae  of  the  male 
are  often  wide  and  feathered,  those  of  the  female  being  mere 
jointed  threads,  without  any  feathering  whatever.  Many  in- 
sects seem  to  be  altogether  without  antennas,  but,  like  the 
undeveloped  legs  already  mentioned,  they  can  be  found  in 
their  places,  though  so  small  as  to  escape  a  hasty  observation. 

Having  now  briefly  examined  the  general  characteristics  of 
insects,  we  will  take  them  in  detail. 

Among  the  insects,  the  Coleoptera,  or  Beetles,  are  acknow- 
ledged to  hold  the  first  rank,  their  development  being  more 
perfect  than  is  found  in  any  of  the  other  orders.  The  name  of 
Coleoptera  is  composed  of  two  Greek  words,  signifying  sheath- 
wings,  and  is  given  to  this  order  of  insects  in  consequence  of 
their  leading  peculiarity,  which  is,  that  the  upper  pair  of 
wings  is  modified  into  horny  or  leathery  cases,  called  elytra, 
useless  in  flight,  but  employed  in  protecting  the  membranous 
under  pair  of  wings,  which  alone  are  used  in  flight.  In  many 
Beetles  the  lower  pair  of  wings  is  not  developed,  and  in  a  few 
both  pairs  are  practically  wanting,  though  the  practised  eye  can 
always  detect  them  in  a  rudimentary  form.     The  wings  and 


DEFINITION   OF  A  BEETLE.  7 

elytra,  together  with  other  portions  of  the  Beetle,  will  presently 
be  figured  and  described. 

The  changes,  or  metamorphoses,  of  the  Beetles,  though  sin- 
gularly interesting,  are  not  easily  seen,  as  Beetle  larv^  require 
food  which  is,  as  a  rule,  not  easily  procured,  and  in  many  cases 
is  so  noisome  that  few  persons  would  like  to  meddle  with  it. 
A  great  number  are  carnivorous,  feeding  upon  various  living 
creatures,  so  that  to  supply  them  properly  with  food  is  next  to 
impossible  ;  while,  as  the  majority  of  them  pass  two  years  or 
more  in  the  larval  state,  the*process  of  rearing  them  is  tedious 
as  well  as  difficult. 

All  who  have  had  silkworms,  or  have  been  in  the  habit  of 
watching  insects  when  at  liberty,  are  familiar  with  the  appear- 
ance of  the  three  principal  forms  assumed  by  the  moths  and 
butterflies  in  thei^  different  stages  of  growth — the  caterpillar, 
with  its  soft,  cylindrical,  ringed  body,  the  pupa  or  chrysalis, 
covered  with  a  hard,  shelly  case,  and  the  perfect  insect,  with 
its  beautiful  wings.  Now,  although  the  Beetles  pass  through 
similar  changes,  they  do  not  assume  similar  forms.  The  larva 
of  the  Beetle  is,  like  that  of  the  moth  or  butterfly  caterpillar, 
soft  and  ringed,  and  sometimes  so  resembles  the  caterpillar 
tliat  it  may  easily  be  mistaken  by  anyone  unskilled  in  ento- 
mology. Figures  of  the  larvae  will  be  given  in  connection  with 
the  different  species. 

Thus  far  the  Beetle  and  moth  bear  some  resemblance  to 
each  other,  but  when  they  come  to  assume  the  pupal  form, 
they  are  so  dissimilar  that  no  one  could  possibly  mis.take  one 
for  the  other.  In  the  moth  pupa  all  the  limbs  are  hidden 
under  a  hard  covering,  but  in  the  Beetle  pupa  all  the  members 
of  the  insect  are  visible,  though  they  are  covered  with  a  skin 
which  binds  them  down,  and  prevents  them  from  being  used 
until  the  insect  attains  its  perfect  form,  and  bursts  through  the 
investing  skin.  A  figure  of  the  larva  and  pupa  of  a  Beetle 
may  be  seen  by  referring  to  the  Bacon  Beetle  {Dermestes  lar- 
darius).  Woodcut  XI. 

If  the  reader  will  carefully  examine  the  various  stages  of 
insect  life,  he  will  see  that,  whether  the  creature  be  in  the 
larval,  pupal,  or  perfect  state,  the  number  of  rings  of  which 
it  is  composed  are  the  same.  Take,  for  example,  a  Beetle 
larva,  and  it  will  be  found  to  consist  of  thirteen  rings,  or 


8  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

segments.  The  first  of  these  forms  the  head,  the  next  three 
carry  the  legs,  and  the  remaining  rings  constitute  the  body. 
Should  the  same  larva  be  successfully  reared,  and  examined 
after  it  has  reached  the  perfect  state,  it  will  be  found  to  have 
precisely  the  same  number  of  rings,  though  some  are  fused 
together,  and  others  are  greatly  modified. 

There  are  few  things  more  marvellous  than  the  development 
of  a  Beetle — say,  for  example,  the  Stag  Beetle,  because  we  shall 
presently  examine  one  of  these  insects  in  detail.  In  its  larval 
state  it  is  a  large,  fat,  soft  grub,  with  legs  so  disproportioned 
to  the  size  of  its  body  that  it  cannot  walk,  but  can  only  move 
about  while  lying  on  one  side.  It  lives  in  the  dark,  buried  in 
the  interior  of  some  tree,  and  feeds  upon  the  fragments  of 
wood  which  it  bites  off  with  its  short  but  sharp  and  powerful 
jaws.  In  its  perfect  state,  it  is  furnished  with  highly  developed 
legs,  with  two  wide  and  powerful  wings,  sheltered  under  their 
horny  elytra,  with  an  elaborately  organised  mouth,  and  two 
enormous  jaws,  while  the  antennae  and  eyes  are  in  themselves 
absolute  wonders  of  mechanism.  The  larva  of  this  Beetle  is 
almost  exactly  like  that  of  the  cockchafer,  shown  in  Plate  V. ; 
and  the  reader  will  see  that  it  is  hardly  possible  to  imagine  a 
more  complete  contrast  than  exists  between  the  very  shapeless 
grub  and  the  insect  in  its  perfect  form. 

In  the  accompanying  illustration  we  have  an  example  of  the 
Beetle,  taken  to  pieces  so  as  to  show  the  various  parts.  The 
Stag  Beetle  has  been  chosen  for  the  purpose. 

"We  begin  with  the  head  and  its  appendages.  Fig.  1  shows 
the  mandibles,  or  upper  jaws,  which  in  the  male  Stag  Beetle 
are  of  very  great  size.  Fig.  4  shows  the  maxillae,  or  lower 
jaws,  with  the  maxillary  palpi,  or  jaw-feelers.  Fig.  4a.  Fig.  3 
shows  the  labium,  or  lower  lip,  with  the  labial  palpi,  or  lip- 
feelers,  3a.  Next  come  the  antennae,  or  feelers.  Fig.  2.  These 
organs  are  divided  into  two  parts — namely,  the  scape,  or  long 
joint  nearest  the  head,  Fig.  2a,  and  the  club,  26.  This  latter 
portion  is  subject  to  most  extraordinary  variations  of  form,  as 
will  be  seen  in  the  following  pages. 

The  head  itself  is  shown  at  Fig.  5,  the  upper  surface  being 
here  given.  5aa  are  the  eyes,  5b  the  vertex,  or  crown  of  the 
head.     5c  is  the  occiput,  or  back  of  the  head ;  and  5d  the 


ANATOMY  OF  A  BEETLE.  ! 

I 

...at. 


LUCAN0S    CER\TJS.     DISSECTION.  ' 

Parts  of  (he  Head.— \.  Mandibles,  or  jaws.  2.  Antennae.  2a.  Scape.  26.  Club.  3. 
Labium,  or  lower  lip.  3(/.  Labial  palpi,  or  lip- feelers.  4.  Maxillce,  or  lower  jaws.  4a. 
Maxillary  palpi,  or  jaw-feelers.  5.  Head,  upper  surface.  5«.  Eyes.  56.  Vertex,  or  crown. 
5e.  Occiput,  or  back  of  head.  5d.  Clj-peus,  or  shield.  6.  Head,  under  surface.  6a.  Eyes. 
66.  Insertion  of  antenna. 

Parts  of  Thorax  and  Abdomen.— 1.  Pronotum,  or  upper  surface  of  thorax,  la.  Lateral  margin. 
76.  Anterior  margin.  7c.  Posterior  angles.  Id.  Posterior  margin.  le.  Anterior  angles. 
8.  Pro^temum,  or  under  surface  of  thorax.  8(7.  Sternum.  86.  Insertion  of  coxa;.  9.  Meso- 
thorax  and  upper  surface  of  abdomen.  9<i.  Mesothorax  alone.  96.  Abdomen,  upper  surface 
alone.        in.  Metastemum  and  abdomen.        10a.  Metasternum  alone.         106.  Abdomen,  under 

12. 


10c.  Parapleura,  or  side  pieces.         lOd.  Episterna,  or  breast-pieces. 


lla.  Tarsi,  or  feet.       115.  Tibia,  or  shank, 
lie.  Coxa.         13.  Intermediate  pair  of  legs. 


surface  alone, 
Scutellum. 

Legs.—  \\.  Anterior,  or  first  pair  of  legs. 
Femur,  or  thigh.         \\d.  Trochanter. 
Posterior  pair  of  legs. 

The  ^yings.—  \i.  Eljtra.        \ia.  Suture. 
14e.  Diic.      16.  Wings  folded  on  abdomen. 


lie. 
15. 


146.  Lateral  margin.        14f.  Apex.        Md.  Base. 
17.  Left  wing  expanded.      18.  Right  wing  folded. 


10  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

clypeus,  or  shield,  which  covers  the  actual  mouth.  Fig.  6 
shows  the  under  side  of  the  head.  6aa  are  the  eyes,  6b  the 
insertion  of  the  antennae. 

As  reference  has  been  made  to  the  eyes,  it  must  be  men- 
tioned that  these  organs,  althoilgh  apparently  only  two  in 
number,  are  in'  reality  compound  eyes,  being  made  of  a  vast 
number  of  facets  gathered  into  two  groups,  one  on  each  side  of 
the  head.  There  is  an  apparent  exception  to  this  definition  in 
the  well-known  Whirligig  Beetles  (Gyrini),  which  appear  to 
have  four  eye-groups,  two  above  and  two  below.  This  ex- 
ception is,  however,  more  apparent  than  real ;  the  eye-groups 
being  in  fact  only  two,  but  each  pair  being  crossed  by  a  band 
of  the  horny  material  of  which  the  outer  skeleton  is  composed. 
The  compound  eyes  can  be  seen  to  great  perfection  in  some  of 
the  butterflies  ;  but  for  this  purpose,  a  careful  manipulation  of 
the  microscope  is  needed. 

If  the  reader  should  be  disposed  to  prepare  a  portion  of  the 
compound  eye  for  the  microscope,  he  will  find  that  the  opera- 
tion, though  a  rather  tedious  one,  will  well  repay  him  for  the 
trouble.  Should  he  wish  to  do  so,  he  can  so  arrange  the  eye 
that  some  small  object  can  be  seen  through  it,  when  the  effect 
will  be  extraordinary,  the  object  being  apparently  multiplied  in 
accordance  with  the  number  of  facets  in  the  field  of  the  micro- 
scope. The  result  is,  in  fact,  exactly  the  same  as  that  which  is 
produced  by  looking  at  any  object  through  an  ordinary  multi- 
plying glass.  It  is  not,  however,  to  be  imagined  that  because 
the  compound  eye  of  the  insect  has  so  many  facets,  the  insect 
perceives  the  object  multiplied  in  proportion  to  the  facets ;  for, 
although  the  numerous  facets  give  the  insect  an  extended  range 
of  vision,  they  convey  but  one  image  to  the  brain,  just  as  the 
duplicate  eyes  and  ears  of  man  convey  to  the  mind  but  one 
image  and  one  sound. 

In  addition  to  these  compound  eyes,  many  insects  possess 
several  small  simple  eyes,  called  ocelli.  They  are  very  small, 
and  in  the  Beetles  are  two  in  number,  and  placed  on  the  back 
of  the  head.  They  can  be  very  easily  seen  in  some  of  the 
Hymenoptera,  such  as  the  bees  and  wasps.  The  eyes  of  the 
spider  are  of  a  similar  character. 

Haying  examined  the  head,  we  now  take  the  next  division  of 


P.4ETS   OF  THE  THORAX.  11 

the  insect,  namely  the  thorax.  This  important  part  bears  all  the 
instruments  of  locomotion,  whether  they  be  legs  or  wings ;  and 
is  most  wonderfully  constructed  for  the  purpose,  being  supplied 
in  the  interior  with  hard  projections  that  are  needed  for 
supporting  the  powerful  muscular  apparatus  needful  for  flight, 
and  the  less  powerful,  but  still  important  system  by  whicli  the 
legs  are  moved. 

The  thorax  is  internally  divided  into  three  parts,  which  we 
call  prothorax,  or  front  thorax ;  mesothorax,  or  middle  thorax ; 
and  metathorax,  or  hinder  thorax.  Beginning  with  the  pro- 
thorax,  we  find  it  again  divided  into  two  portions,  the  upper 
and  the  lower — the  former  going  by  the  name  of  pronotum,  i.e. 
in  front  of  the  back,  and  the  other  called  presternum,  i.e.  in 
front  of  the  breast.  Fig.  7  shows  the  pronotum  of  the  Stag 
Beetje  :  laa  are  the  lateral  margins,  76  is  the  anterior  margin, 
7cc  are  the  posterior  angles,  Id  the  posterior  margin,  and  lee 
the  anterior  angles. 

Next  we  come  to  the  presternum,  which  is  shown  at  Fig.  8  ; 
8a  being  the  sternum,  and  866  the  insertion  of  the  coxa,  a  joint 
which  will  be  presently  described. 

The  mesothorax  with  the  abdomen  is  shown  at  Figs.  9  and  10, 
the  former  exhibiting  the  upper,  and  the  latter  the  under  sur- 
face. In  the  last  figure,  a  is  the  metasternum,  6  the  abdomen, 
c  the  parapleura,  or  side-pieces  (sometimes  called  paraptera, 
because  they  are  situated  by  the  wings),  and  d  the  episterna, 
or  breast-pieces. 

Each  of  these  portions  is  set  apart  for  a  definite  use,  and  is 
'employed  for  the  attachment  of  some  portion  of  the  locomotive 
apparatus. 

The  presternum  is  used  to  carry  the  front  pair  of  legs,  as 
can  be  seen  by  looking  at  the  under  side  of  any  large  Beetle, 
or  indeed  of  any  small  one,  by  the  aid  of  a  magnifier. 

The  mesothorax  bears  the  elytra,  or  wing  cases,  and  the 
intermediate  pair  of  legs,  the  former  being  attached  to  the 
upper  part,  or  mesonotum,  and  the  latter  to  the  lower  part,  or 
mesosternum.  The  reader  must  remember  that  the  word 
'  sternum '  always  signifies  the  breast,  or  under  side  of  the 
thorax,  and  'notum'  the  back,  or  upper  side.  Lastly,  the 
mesothorax  Bears  the  lower,  or  membranous,  wings  and  the 
last  pair  of  legs.     As  before,  the  wings  are  attached  to  the 


12  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

upper  part,  or  metanotum,  and  the  legs  to  the  lower  part,  or 
metasternum. 

We  come  now  to  the  legs,  the  three  pairs  of  which  are  repre- 
sented successively  at  Figs.  11,  13,  15;  the  first  pair  being 
called  the  anterior  legs,  the  second  the  internr^ediate  legs,  and 
the  third  the  posterior  legs. 

These  legs  are  divided  into  several  portions,  which  are 
marked  at  Fig.  11.  Beginning  at  the  extremity  of  the  limb,  a 
is  the  tarsus,  or  foot,  which  consists  of  several  joints.  There 
are  mostly  five  joints  in  the  tarsus  of  Beetles,  but  in  many 
families  one  or  two  of  the  joints  are  so  small  as  scarcely  to  be 
visible,  and  only  to  be  detected  by  a  practised  eye  with  the 
aid  of  a  lens.  Next  comes  the  tibia,  or  shank,  which  is  shown 
at  6.  Then  follows  the  femur,  or  thigh,  as  seen  at  c.  This 
is  attached  to  a  small  joint  called  the  trochanter,  which 
is  drawn  at  d;  and  last  comes  the  coxa,  or  the  joint  which 
connects  the  limb  with  the  thorax.  The  action  of  the  coxa 
is  very  curious,  it  being  a  kind  of  ball-and-socket  joi^it,  but 
with  a  limited  range  of  movement,  so  that  the  leg?  cannot 
be  spread  too  far.  The  same  divisions  of  the  joints  ar»j  found 
in  the  three  sets  of  legs. 

We  next  come  to  the  wings.  The  upper  pair,  or  elytra,  are 
shown  at  Fig.  14.  For  convenience  of  description  they  are 
marked  into  several  divisions.  Fig.  l-ia  is  the  suture,  or  line 
of  junction  between  the  two  elytra.  The  apex  is  shown  at  c, 
and  the  base  at  d.  The  middle,  or  disc,  is  marked  e,  and  the 
lateral  margin  is  at  b.  Fig.  17  shows  one  of  the  wings  ex- 
panded, as  if  for  flight;  Fig.  18  is  the  opposite  wing,  repre- 
sented as  folded,  and  at  Fig.  16  are  shown  both  wings  as  they 
appear  when  the  elytra  are  removed. 

At  first  sight  some  of  these  terms  may  appear  to  be  harsh, 
repulsive,  and  difficult  to  master.  In  reality  they  are  not  so, 
and  a  knowledge  of  them  is  absolutely  necessary  to  anyone 
who  wishes  to  understand  the  description  of  an  insect,  and 
himself  to  describe  insects  intelligibly.  They  form  a  kind 
of  shorthand  by  which  knowledge  can  be  rapidly  communicated, 
and  the  trouble  taken  in  learning  them  is  atnply  repaid  by  the 
advantage  gained  by  the  student,  even  were  the  trouble  multi- 
plied tenfold. 

But,  in  reality,  there  is  scarcely  any  trouble  Heeded.     If  the 


MODE   OF  DISSECTING  BEETLES.  13 

intending  entomolooist  should  content  himself  with  merely 
learning  a  string  of  names  by  rote,  he  must  expect  to  find  his 
lesson  a  hard  and  repulsive  one,  and  that  it  will  be  forgotten 
almost  as  soon  as.  learned.  Practical  knowledge  is  ever  the 
best,  and  the  reader  who  intends  to  become  an  entomologist 
should  take  some  Beetle— the  largest  he  can  find— and  com- 
pare it,  piece  by  piece,  with  the  figures  and  description. 

The  most  effective  plan  of  all,  however,  is  to  take  the  Beetle 
entirely  to  pieces,  and  to  lay  out  the  portions  on  a  card  in 
their  proper  order,  numbering  each  piece,  and  wi-iting  an 
index  to  the  numbers.  The  various  portions  can  be  fixed  to 
the  card  by  diamond  cement  or  Kay's  coaguline,  the  latter 
having  the  advantage  of  great  holding  power,  so  that  a  very 
little  is  required,  perfect  transparency,  and  sufficient  elasticity 
to  guard  against  the  tendency  to  chip  away  from  the  object, 
which  is  so  unpleasant  in  ordinary  gum.  I  recommend  taking 
two  Beetles,  so  as  to  show  the  upper  and  under  sides  of  each 
portion.  This  will  be  found  peculiarly  interesting  in  the 
thorax. 

Before  any  attempt  at  dissecting  the  Beetle  it  should  be 
steeped  in  soft  water  for  a  time,  until  the  sof<?  parts  are 
thoroughly  dissolved.  The  water  should  then  be  poured  away, 
and  fresh  water  substituted  until  the  whole  of  the  muscles  and 
viscera  have  been  washed  away.  Care  must  be  taken  lest  any  of 
the  smaller  joints  be  lost  during  this  process.  When  the  whole 
skeleton  is  fairly  laid  out,  it  can  be  mounted  in  a  glass  frame, 
and,  besides  serving  as  an  infiilible  guide  to  the  external  ana- 
tomy of  the  Beetle,  it  is  really  a  pretty  and  ornamental  object. 
Many  years  ago,  when  I  first  began  the  study  of  entomology, 
I  thus  prepared  several  Beetles,  and  the  knowledge  thus  gained 
has  never  been  lost.  Had  I  studied  books  alone,  I  should 
not  liave  been  able  to  gain  the  information  half  so  easily,  or  to 
have  retained  it  half  as  long. 


CHAPTEE  II. 
THE    GEODEPHAGA. 

The  word  with  which  this  chapter  is  headed  is  not  a  very 
alluring-  one,  and  yet  to  an  entomologist  it  would  say  that  the 
chapter  contains  the  history  of  the  best  developed  and  some  of 
the  most  interesting  of  the  British  Beetles.  The  term  Greode- 
phaga  is  formed  from  two  Greek  words,  signifying  earth-de- 
vourers,  and  is  given  to  the  large  group  of  predacious  Beetles 
which  live  on  the  ground.  There  is  another  large  group,  called 
the  Hydradephaga,  or  water-devourers,  i.e.  those,  predacious 
Beetles  which  inhabit  the  water.  We  will  take  these  two 
important  groups  in  succession,  selecting  such  examples  as 
may  best  illustrate  them. 

It  must  be,  in  the  first  place,  observed  that  any  Beetle  may 
be  recognised  as  belonging  to  either  of  these  great  groups  by 
the  structure  of  the  mouth.  In  reference  to  the  illustrations 
already  described,  the  reader  will  see  that  each  of  the  maxillae^ 
(Fig.  4)  is  furnished  with  a  four-jointed  maxillary  palpus.  All 
these  carnivorous  Beetles  possess  the  same  organs,  but,  in  addi- 
tion, they  have  an  inner  lobe,  which  is  also  furnished  with  its 
palpus.  Several  examples  of  this  structure  may  be  seen  by 
reference  to  the  accompanying  illustration  (Figs,  a,  c,  e,  and/). 
Both  these  groups  are  associated  in  one  large  group  called 
Adephaga,  the  word  being  a  Greek  one,  and  signifying  greedy 
or  gluttonous. 

Beginning  with  the  Geodephaga,  we  take  the  first  family  of 
the  group,  the  Cicindelidse,  or  Tiger  Beetles.  In  all  these 
Beetles  there  is  a  little  movable  hook  at  the  end  of  the 
maxillae,  and  the  ligula  is  very  short,  and  not  appearing  beyond 
the  mentum.  There  is  only  one  genus  of  these  Beetles  in- 
habiting England,  and  this  is  the  typical  genus  Cicindela.     The 


TIGER  BEETLES. 


15 


members  of  this  genus  vary  but  little  in  size,  being  about  half 
an  inch  in  length,  having  slender  legs  and  antennae,  powerful 
and  curved  jaws,  and  very  rounded  and  prominent  eyes.  They 
are  all  prettily  coloured,  and  some  are  absolutely  magnificent 
when  viewed  with  the  aid  of  a  magnifying  glass. 

Never  was  a  popular  name  more  appropriate  tlian  the  title 
of  Tiger  Beetles,  which  has  been  given  to  this  genus.     If  we 


COLEOPTERA. 

1.  Dromius  quadrimaculatus.         2.  Lebia  cyai.occphala.        3.  Tarus  axillaris.        4.  Cli-vina 
fossor.  5.  Kotiophiliis  biguttatus.  a.  Dromius,  maxilla.  b.  Cicindela,  head.  c. 

Cicindela,  maxiUary  palpus.  d,  Tarus,  labial  palpi.  e.  Xotiophilus,  maxillary  palpi. 

/.  Lebia,  maxillary  palpi. 

can  imagine  tigers  who,  in  addition  to  active  limbs,  their 
teeth,  and  their  talons,  are  furnished  with  large  and  powerful 
wings,  we  can  form  some  idea  of  the  part  which  these  creatures 
play  in  the  world  of  insects. 

We  will  take  as  our  first  and  typical  example  the  common 
Green  Tiger  Beetle  or  Sparkler  {Cicindela  campestris). 


16  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

At  Fig.  b  of  Woodcut  II.  is  shown  the  head  of  this  insect, 
magnified  some  six  diameters,  in  order  to  show  the  extremely 
formidable  jaws  with  which  it  is  armed.  These  jaws  are  not 
only  sharp  at  their  points,  and  strongly  cm'ved,  but  are  boldly 
toothed ;  so  that  when  the  Beetle  has  once  seized  its  prey,  the 
unfortunate  insect  has  but  little  chance  of  escape. 

The  colour  of  this  beautiful  beetle  is  gold-green  above,  and 
shining  coppei-green  below  ;  and  there  are  several  yellowish 
spots  on  the  elytra,  varying  much  in  shape,  number,  and  hue. 
Sometimes  there  are  only  three,  but  in  many  specimens  there 
are  six.  In  former  times,  the  variety  in  the  number  of  spots 
was  thought  to  indicate  that  the  Beetles  belonged  to  different 
species,  but  it  is  now  decisively  ascertained  that  they  are  only 
varieties  of  one  single  species. 

"When  this  Beetle  is  casually  examined,  the  elytra  and  head 
5eem  to  be  merely  dull  green,  but  when  a  powerful  light  is 
brought  to  bear  on  them,  and  they  are  placed  under  a  trust- 
worthy lens,  they  absolutely  blaze  with  gem-like  hues,  so  that 
the  eye  is  almost  dazzled  with  their  splendour.  Scarcely  any 
two  specimens  are  exactly  alike,  but  in  all  there  is  a  brilliant 
metallic  resplendence,  sometimes  as  of  pale  gold,  and  some- 
times as  of  red  gold. 

If  the  wing-cases  be  opened,  and  the  broad  membranous  wings 
spread,  the  upper  surface  of  the  abdomen  is  seen  to  be  deep 
shining  blue,  very  much  like  the  colour  of  the  ordinary  '  blue- 
bottle '  fly.  As  the  Beetle  darts  through  the  air  in  the  sunshine, 
the  light  glitters  on  the  burnished  blue  surface,  a  circumstance 
which  has  earned  for  the  Beetle  the  popular  name  of  Sparkler. 

One  peculiarity  of  this  insect  is  the  strong  but  pleasing 
scent  which  it  emits.  I  well  remember  the  first  time  that  I 
saw  and  captured  this  Beetle.  It  was  on  a  sandy  bank  in 
Bagley  Wood,  near  Oxford,  and  I  could  not  for  some  time 
guess  the  origin  of  the  pleasant,  sweet-briar  sort  of  scent  which 
clung  to  my  hands.  For  some  time  I  thought  that  I  must 
have  grasped  some  fragrant  herb,  and  it  was  not  until  I  had 
taken  the  Beetles  out  of  the  box  (where,  by  the  way,  nearly 
one  half  had  been  killed  and  partly  eaten  by  the  other  half) 
that  I  discovered  the  real  source  of  the  perfume. 

The  habits  of  all  the  species  being  very  similar,  we  will  pass 
to  another  insect  belonging  to  the  same  genus. 


PLATE    I. 
TIGER    BEETLES    AND    BOMBARDIER. 


1.  Cicindela  sylvatica  and  larva. 

2.  Cicindela  maritima  and  larva. 

3.  Cicindela  germauica  and  larva. 

4.  Broscus  cephaloles. 

5.  Bracliinus  crepitans. 

6.  Carabus  monilis. 

Plants  : — 

Bramble  (Hubus  fruticosus).     Above. 
Heatli  (Erica  cinered).     Right  of  Middle. 
Lavender  Thi-ift  (Statice  Limoniitm).     Left  of  Middle. 
Fem  (Pteris  aquilina).     Above  Heath.  , 


LARVA   OF   THE   TIGER   BEETLE.  17 

On  Plate  I.  Fig.  1,  is  seen  the  Wood  Tiger  Beetle  {Cicindela 
sylvatica).  This,  although  a  really  beautiful  insect,  cannot  lay 
claim  to  the  splendid  colouring  which  adorns  its  congener,  the 
Green  Tiger  Beetle. 

The  colour  of  this  insect  is  brown  above,  with  a  decided 
purple  gloss.  The  elytra  have  a  cream-white  curved  mark  at 
the  base,  a  narrow  wavy  mark  of  the  same  colour  in  the 
middle,  and  a  round  spot  close  to  the  apex.  Below,  it  is  deep 
bluish-green,  often  glossed  with  copper  and  purple. 

This  species  is  found  in  various  parts  of  England,  and  chiefly 
haunts  sandy  heaths  and  similar  places.  The  reason  for  this 
habit  is,  that  in  such  localities  the  larva  can  find  a  home,  and 
the  perfect  insect  a  livelihood.  The  larva  of  the  Tiger  Beetle 
is  an  odd-looking  creature,  having  a  broad  flat  head,  armed  with 
sickle-shaped  jaws,  and  the  two  next  segments  very  large. 
The  eighth  segment  is  developed  to  an  extraordinary  degree, 
and  is  furnished  on  the  back  with  two  large  tubercles  crowned 
with  reddish  bristles,  and  carrying  two  sharp  recurved  hooks,  the 
use  of  which  will  presently  be  seen.  In  consequence  of  this 
peculiar  form,  the  larva  has  been  compared  in  shape  to  the 
capital  letter  Z.     The  colour  is  whitish. 

These  odd-looking  larvse  are  burrowers,  making  tunnels  in 
the  sandy  soil  nearly  eighteen  inches  in  depth,  and  a  little 
wider  than  the  diameter  of  the  body.  They  excavate  in  rather 
an  ingenious  manner.  With  their  jaws,  assisted  by  their  front 
pair  of  legs,  they  scrape  away  the  sand,  and  allow  it  to  rest  upon 
the  flat  broad  head.  They  then  work  their  way  up  the  tunnel, 
and,  when  they  have  reached  the  orifice,  throw  off  the  biirden. 
The  creature  intends  to  make  a  perpendicular  burrow,  but  is 
sometimes  obliged  to  alter  its  shape,  in  consequence  of  coming 
across  a  stone  or  a  furze-root.  Sometimes,  if  a  stone  or  root 
happens  to  be  a  large  one,  the  larva  is  obliged  to  abandon  its 
unfinished  task,  and  begin  another  tunnel. 

On  Plate  I.  are  shown  the  tunnels  of  several  species  of 
Cicindela ;  the  larva  being  shown  in  the  burrow,  and  the 
perfect  insect  near  its  mouth.  The  third  btUTow,  that  of 
Cicindela  germanica,  is  represented  as  only  partially  completed, 
so  that  the  larva  might  be  shown  in  its  attitude  of  repose. 

When  the  larva  feels  hungry,  which  is  generally  the  case,  it 
ascends  to  the  mouth  of  the  tunnel,  and  anchors  itself  there  by 


18  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

pressing  tlie  points  of  the  hooks  against  the  sides,  so  that  no 
muscular  exertion  is  required  in  order  to  keep  itself  from 
falling  down  the  burrow.  It  then  opens  its  jaws  widely,  and 
waits  for  prey.  In  this  position  it  is  all  but  invisible ;  and 
many  a  small  insect  runs  heedlessly  within  its  reach,  and  is 
instantly  seized  in  the  terrible  jaws.  No  sooner  is  the  capture 
made  than  the  Cicindela  larva  retires  to  the  end  of  its  tunnel, 
and  there  devours  its  prey  in  peace.  At  Fig.  3  of  Plate  I.  is 
shown  the  larva  at  the  bottom  of  the  burrow,  engaged  in  eating 
an  ant  which  it  has  just  caught. 

It  is  not  very  easy  to  procure  the  larvee,  even  in  places  where 
they  are  tolerably  common.  In  the  first  place,  their  peculiar 
mode  of  life  keeps  them  much  out  of  sight.  The  mouth  of  the 
burrow  is  not  large;  and  when  the  larva  suspects  danger,  it 
immediately  retreats  to  the  bottom  of  its  tunnel,  and  there 
waits  until  it  feels  that  the  danger  has  passed  by.  In  the  next 
place,  even  when  the  creature  has  been  detected,  to  capture  it 
is  a  difficult  task,  owing  to  the  nature  of  the  soil,  which  is  apt 
to  fall  in  when  disturbed,  and  so  to  fill  up  the  burrow  and  hide 
the  inhabitant.  The  best  plan  for  catching  these  creatures 
without  injuring  them  is  to  introduce  into  the  bmTow  a  flexible 
grass-stalk,  or  something  of  the  same  natm-e,  and  to  pass  it 
gently  down  to  the  very  bottom  of  the  tunnel  in  which  the 
larva  is  lying.  By  carefully  digging  around  the  grass-stalk, 
the  hidden  grub  can  be  secured. 

More  care  is  required  in  this  operation  than  might  at  first 
seem  to  be  needful.  The  trowel  or  '  digger '  should  be  put 
into  the  ground  at  least  eight  inches  from  the  mouth  of  the 
burrow,  and  qmte  a  large  hole  should  be  dug ;  as,  if  it  be  made 
too  small,  the  point  of  the  trowel  is  apt  to  crush  the  soft- 
bodied  grub.  Then,  the  grass-stalk  must  be  carefully  held 
upright  in  the  left  hand,  while  the  right  hand  is  employed  in 
digging ;  as,  if  unsupported,  it  is  sure  to  fall  out  of  the  burrow 
as  soon  as  the  operator  has  dug  within  some  two  or  three 
inches  of  the  bottom  of  the  hole,  and  then  all  the  labour  is 
lost.  These  larvae  may  be  found  about  May,  and  a  second 
brood  about  August  and  the  beginning  of  September. 

Many  insects  are  very  voracious  in  the  larval  condition,  but 
become  comparatively  indifferent  to  food  when  they  reach  their 
perfect  state.     This,  however,  is  not  the  case  with  the  Tiger 


THE  LEBIADJE.  19 

Beetles,  which  only  cease  from  eating  during  the  short  period 
of  their  pupal  existence.  In  localities  which  these  insects 
prefer,  such  as  sand-banks  which  are  totally  sheltered  from  the 
wind,  they  may  be  seen  busily  engaged  in  .chasing  their  prey. 
They  are  more  active  in  the  air  than  any  other  Beetle,  having 
a  way  of  spreading  and  folding  their  beautiful  wings  so  instan- 
taneously that  they  look  more  like  flies  than  Beetles.  Most 
Beetles  are  very  deliberate  in  preparing  for  flight  and  alighting 
after  it,  but  the  Tiger  Beetles  are  quite  exceptional  in  this 
respect,  and  dash  about  as  easily  as  if  their  wings  had  not  to  be 
imfolded  and  repacked  under  the  elytra. 

One  exception  to  the  general  rule  is  found  in  the  Cidndela 
germanica. 

This  is  the  smallest  of  the  British  Cicindelidse,  being  only 
five  lines  in  length.  Its  body  is  rather  cylindrical,  and  its 
colour  is  much  like  that  of  the  first-mentioned  species,  the 
elytra  being  of  a  similar  dull,  but  rich  green.  The  elytra  have 
a  cream-white  spot  on  the  shoulder,  one  near  the  middle  of  the 
lateral  margin,  and  a  crescent-shaped  mark  at  the  apex.  It  is 
blue-green  below,  glossed  with  a  copper  tinge. 

Contrary  to  the  habits  of  the  other  Tiger  Beetles,  this 
species  prefers  wet  to  dry  places,  and  has  a  liking  for  brackish 
marshes.  It  does  not  take  to  wing  as  do  its  congeners,  but  it 
is  a  very  rapid  runner,  and  traverses  the  wet  surface  of  the 
ground  with  gi'eat  speed.  It  appears  to  be  one  of  those  species 
which  are  at  once  intermittent  and  local  in  their  appearance ; 
being  found  plentifully  in  one  season  in  some  favoured  locality, 
and  then  disappearing  for  years.  Black  Gang  Chine,  in  the  Isle 
of  Wight,  is  said  to  be  the  place  most  frequented  by  this  insect. 

Another  species,  Gicindela  maritima,  is  shown  on  Plate  I. 
Fig.  2.  It  is  purplish  or  coppery-chocolate  above,  the  coppery 
hue  being  plainest  along  the  suture  ;  and  the  elytra  have  a 
cream-white  mark  at  the  base  and  apex,  and  a  wavy  band  in 
the  middle.  It  prefers  the  sand  of  the  sea-shore,  and  may  be 
found  on  many  of  our  sandy  coasts. 

We  now  come  to  the  next  family  of  British  Beetles,  tho 
Lebiadae.     All  the  Beetles  of  this  family  may  be  known  by  the 

c  -i 


20  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

appearance  of  the  elytra,  which  do  not  extend  to  the  end  of  the 
abdomen,  and  are  abruptly  squared,  looking  almost  as  if  they 
had  been  cut  off.  If  their  first  pair  of  legs  be  examined,  the 
tibise  will  be  seen  notched  on  the  inner  side.  They  are  all 
rather  small  Beetles,  and  some  are  very  prettily  coloured. 
They  are  tolerably  active  when  they  choose  to  take  the  trouble 
of  moving ;  but  they  are  much  given  to  hiding  themselves  in 
all  kinds  of  crevices,  so  that  some  trouble  is  requisite  in  order 
to  procure  them. 

The  young  entomologist  must  always  bear  in  mind  that  the 
most  unpromising  localities  will  often  prove  to  be  singularly 
rich  in  insects,  and  that  Beetles  especially  may  be  found  in 
any  spot  where  there  is  a  crack  or  a  hole.  Large  stones  are 
nearly  sure  to  shelter  a  Beetle  or  two  beneath  them  ;  moss  is 
generally  full  of  them  ;  and  a  heap  of  decaying  grass  or  leaves 
is  a  hotbed  which  seems  as  well  fitted  to  produce  Beetles  as  to 
force  plants.  The  loose  bark  of  trees  always  has  Beetles  under 
it;  and  small  Beetles  creep  into  the  burrows  which  larger 
Beetles  have  made  in  the  decajdng  wood  of  the  tree.  When  a 
quantity  of  long  moss  is  to  be  seen,  it  is  a  good  plan  to  fill  a 
bag  with  it — a  paper  bag  will  do  in  lieu  of  anything  better — 
and  to  bring  it  home,  when  it  can  be  carefully  examined  by 
shaking  it  bit  by  bit  over  a  large  sheet  of  white  paper.  Grass- 
tufts  can  be  treated  in  a  similar  manner,  and  mostly  with  great 
success.  Lumps  of  dry  earth  can  also  be  brought  home,  where 
they  can  be  broken  up  and  leisurely  searched. 

The  typical  example  of  this  family  is  shown  on  Plate  IL 
Fig.  1.  Its  name  is  Lehia  crux-minor.  The  insects  belonging 
to  this  genus  have  hard  and  somewhat  flattened  bodies,  and 
the  antennae  rather  thickened  towards  the  tip.  The  second 
joint  is  the  shortest,  and  the  third  the  longest,  the  others 
being  of  about  equal  length.  One  of  the  maxillary  palf)i  is 
drawn  on  Woodcut  II.  Fig.  /. 

The  colour  of  this  species  is  very  decided.  The  head  is 
black  and  '  punctated,'  i.e.  covered  with  minute  holes  or  punc- 
tures, and  the  thorax  and  elytra  are  rust-red,  the  latter  being 
marked  with  a  bold  black  cross.  No'  one  can  mistake  this 
pretty  Beetle  who  has  once  seen  it ;  but,  unfortunately,  to  see  it 
except  in  cabinets  is  a  very  rare  event,  and  any  entomologist 


VAEIETY   OF   COLOUR  AND  SIZE.  21 

who  is  fortunate  enough  to  capture  it,  is  sure  to  publish  the 
fact.  It  is  probably  one  of  the  intermittent  and  local  species, 
as' it  has  been  taken  in  some  numbers  near  the  Devil's  Dyke, 
at  Brighton.  The  length  of  the  Beetle  is  about  a  quarter  of 
an  inch. 

Another  species  of  this  genus  is  drawn  on  Woodcut  II. 
Fig.  2.  This  is  called  Lebia  cyanocephala.  The  latter  of 
these  two  words  signifies  blue-headed,  and  is  given  to  the 
insect  because  its  head,  instead  of  being  black,  like  that  of  the 
preceding  species,  is  bluish-green.  The  thorax  is  rust-red,  and 
is  much  punctated,  and  has  a  definite  though  slight  groove 
along  its  centre.  The  colour  of  the  elytra  is  somewhat  variable, 
but  is  generally  greenish-blue,  in  some  specimens  being  almost 
entirely  green,  and  in  others  almost  entirely  blue.  It  is  bluish- 
green  beneath. 

The  size  of  the  insect  is  as  variable  as  its  colour,  some 
specimens  being  quite  a  third  larger  than  others.  Its  average 
length  is  a  quarter  of  an  inch,  or  rather  less.  It  is  not  a 
common  Beetle,  but  may  be  found  upon  the  broom  in  the 
summer  time. 

There  is  a  common  species  of  this  beautiful  genus  also  to 
be  procured  from  the  broom.  This  is  Lebia  chlorocephala. 
It  much  resembles  the  preceding  insect  in  colour,  but  may  be 
known  by  the  greater  depth  of  the  punctui-es  on  the  head,  and 
the  longer  and  narrower  thorax,  with  the  posterior  angles  more 
pointed.  Like  the  preceding  insect,  it  is  exceedingly  variable 
both  in  colour  and  size.  Mr.  Stephens  states  that  the  specimens 
which  he  took  from  the  broom  in  Epping  Forest  were  scarcely 
half  as  large  as  those  taken  on  the  same  tree  in  Darenth  Wood, 
*  and  that  in  the  Epping  Beetles  the  prevailing  colour  was  blue, 
while  in  the  Darenth  specimens  it  was  green. 

The  genus  Dromius  comes  next  on  our  list.  There  are  nine 
sjjecies  of  Dromius,  all  of  them  small  and  rather  pretty  insects. 
Although  they  are  almost  invariably  found  under  the  bark  of 
trees,  they  must  not  be  confounded  with  those  little  Beetles 
which  devour  the  bark  or  bore  into  the  wood.  On  the  con- 
trary, such  insects  constitute  the  food  of  the  Dromii,  so  that 


22  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

the  latter  ought  to  be  encouraged  and  protected  as  far  as  pos- 
sible. Their  bodies  are  long  and  flattish,  so  as  to  enable  them 
to  run  about  under  the  bark  in  search  of  prey.  The  maxilla  of 
a  Dromius  is  shown  on  Woodcut  II.  Fig.  a. 

On  the  same  illustration,  at  Fig.  1,  is  shown  a  Beetle  which 
may  be  accepted  as  the  type  of  the  genus.  Its  name  is  Dro- 
Tnius  quadriTYiaculatus,  the  latter  name  being  given  to  it  on 
account  of  the  four  white  marks  upon  the  elytra.  The  head  of 
this  species  is  black,  and  the  thorax  is  rust-red.  The  elytra 
are  brown,  and  each  of  them  has  two  white  spots,  as  shown  in 
the  illustration.  The  length  of  the  Beetle  is  designated  by 
the  line  drawn  by  its  side.  It  can  be  taken  in  various  localities. 
Throughout  the  year  it  can  mostly  be  found  by  removing  the 
dead  bark  of  trees,  but  in  winter  it  can  sometimes  be  found 
under  stones  and  in  heaps  of  decaying  leaves. 

The  word  Dromius  is  of  Greek  origin,  signifying  a  runner, 
and  is  given  to  the  members  of  this  genus  in  consequence  of 
their  activity. 

The  members  of  the  genus  Tarus  can  be  known  by  examining 
the  structure  of  their  mouths,  and  especially  by  looking  at  the 
labial  palpi,  which  have  the  last  joint  very  large,  and  shaped 
like  an  axe-head.  This  shape  is  technically  termed  by  ento- 
mologists '  securiform,'  from  the  Latin  word  securis,  an  axe  or 
hatchet.  The  figure  d,  of  Woodcut  No.  II.,  represents  the 
labial  palpi  of  a  Tarus,  and  will  at  once  explain  the  shape 
which  the  word  securiform  expresses. 

On  the  same  Woodcut,  at  Fig.  3,  is  drawn  the  owner  of  the 
securiform  palpi  in  question,  Tarus  axillaris. 

Three  members  of  this  genus  are  known  to  inhabit  England. 
They  are  little  Beetles,  long  bodied,  and  very  flat,  so  as  to 
enable  them  to  creep  into  small  crevices.  They  are  sombre  in 
hue,  and  not  very  easily  distinguished  from  each  other.  Indeed, 
even  expert  entomologists  have  been  perplexed  about  these 
Beetles,  and  some  confusion  has,  in  consequence,  arisen  respect- 
ing their  nomenclature. 

The  present  species  is  rather  less  than  the  third  of  an  inch 
in  length.  Its  colour  is  pitchy-black,  but  the  thorax,  legs,  and 
antennae  are  reddish,  and  the  latter  are  downy  at  the  tips. 
The  elytra  are  very  polished,  and  have  bold  striae  covered  with 


THE  BOMBAEDIER  BEETLE.  23 

punctures,  and  there  is  a  dull  orange  mark  on  the  shoulder, 
a  line  of  the  same  hue  running  along  the  lateral  margin. 
None  of  the  Tari  are  common,  but  they  may  be  found  nea  the 
sea-coast,  hidden  under  stones  in  damp  and  marshy  places. 

If  the  reader  will  refer  to  Plate  I.  Fig.  5,  he  will  see  repre- 
sented an  event  which  frequently  occm-s  in  the  insect  world, 
and  which,  in  spite  of  its  frequency,  never  fails  to  attract  at- 
tention and  excite  admiration. 

There  is  a  prettily-made,  though  soberly-coloured,  little 
Beetle,  called  Brachinus  explodens,  the  latter  title  beino- 
given  to  it  in  consequence  of  a  most  singular  property  which 
it  possesses,  and  which  is  almost  unique  in  the  animal  kingdom. 
It  secretes  a  remarkable  volatile  fluid,  which  it  has  the  power 
of  retaining  or  expelling  at  will.  When  alarmed,  it  throws 
•out  a  small  quantity  of  this  fluid,  which  immediately  vola- 
tilises with  a  slight  explosion  when  it  comes  in  contact  with 
the  atmosphere,  and  looks  very  much  like  the  fire  of  miniature 
artillery.  In  consequence  of  this  phenomenon,  the  insect  which 
produces  it  is  popularly  called  the  Bombardier  Beetle. 

This  curious  property  is  used  in  defence.  The  Beetle,  being 
a  small  and  comparatively  feeble  one,  is  liable  to  be  attacked 
by  the  larger  Geodephaga,  especially  by  those  belonging  to  the 
genus  Carabus.  Tlie  lesser  insect  could  have  no  chance  of 
escape  but  for  its  curious  weapons  of  defence.  When  the 
Carabus  chases  the  Brachinus,  the  latter  waits  until  the  former 
has  nearly  reached  its  prey,  and  then  fires  a  gun,  so  to  speak, 
in  its  face.  The  effect  on  the  Carabus  is  ludicrous.  The 
insect  seems  quite  scared  at  such  a  repulse,  stops,  backs  away 
from  the  tiny  blue  cloud,  and  allows  its  intended  prey  to  reach 
a  place  of  safety. 

The  illustration  represents  this  scene.  The  pursuing  Beetle, 
Carabus  Tnonilis,  is  chasing  the  Bombardier,  and  has  very 
Hearly  captured  it,  but  is  stopped  by  a  discharge  of  artillery, 
under  cover  of  which  the  Bombardier  will  make  off.  Mean- 
while, the  Carabus,  exchanging  its  rapid  advance  for  a  retreat 
nearly  as  rapid,  throws  its  antennae  backwards — a  movement 
which  is  analogous  to  that  of  a  dog  when  it  drops  its  tail  be- 
tween its  legs — and,  before  it  can  recover  itself,  its  intended 
prey  has  made  good  its  escape.. 


24  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

The  Brachini  may  be  identified  by  the  very  convex  body, 
and  their  palpi  without  the  securiform  terminal  joint.  The 
Bombardier  Beetle  is  reddish-yellow,  with  dull  deep-blue 
elytra.  It  is,  however,  a  variable  species,  as  are  all,  or  nearly 
all,  of  those  in  which  green  or  blue  is  the  prevailing  colour, 
and,  though  most  specimens  are  blue,  or  blue-black,  some  are 
deep  blackish-green.  It  also  varies  greatly  in  size,  some 
specimens  being  not  a  quarter  of  an  inch  in  length,  and  others 
more  than  the  third  of  an  inch  long. 

These  Beetles  love  wet  situations,  especially  when  the  water 
is  brackish,  and  hide  under  stones  and  in  crevices,  so  that  they 
are  seldom  seen  except  by  insect  hunters.  The  banks  of  tidal 
rivers  are  good  hunting  grounds  for  the  searchers  after 
Brachini,  such  as  the  Thames,  from  Erith,  or  even  Woolwich,  to 
its  mouth.  They  are  found  in  greatest  numbers  below  Grraves- 
end,  and  ten  or  twelve  may  sometimes  be  seen  under  a  single  - 
stone,  firing  off  their  artillery  when  deprived  of  their  shelter. 

The  volatile  fluid  which  produces  such  curious  effects  is 
secreted  in  a  little  sac  just  within  the  end  of  the  abdomen. 
It  is  not  only  capable  of  repelling  the  larger  Beetles  by  its 
explosion  and  cloud  of  blue  vapour,  but  is  potent  enough  to 
discolour  the  human  skin  when  discharged  against  it,  as  many 
have  found  who  have  captured  Bombardier  Beetles  by  hand. 
Should  it  get  within  the  eyelids,  the  pain  and  irritation  pro- 
duced resemble  those  which  would  be  caused  by  a  correspond- 
ing amount  of  the  strongest  vinegar. 

The  whole  of  the  contents  are  not  ejected  at  one  discharge, 
but  there  is  sufficient  to  produce  a  series  of  explosions,  each 
perceptibly  fainter  than  its  predecessor.  Even  after  the  death 
of  the  Beetle,  the  explosions  may  be  produced  by  pressing  the 
abdomen  between  the  finger  and  thumb.  Even  in  our  small 
British  species  the  phenomenon  is  very  surprising,  but  there 
are  much  larger  species  in  hotter  countries,  which  produce 
much  louder  explosions,  accompanied  with  quite  a  cloud  of 
vapour.  Two  British  species  of  Brachinus  are  known  to  ento- 
mologists. 

We  come  now  to  another  family  of  Greodephaga,  of  which 
we  can  but  take  one  example.  The  Scaritidse,  like  the  pre- 
ceding family,  are  seldom  seen  in  the  open  air,  but,  instead  of 


DIGGING  FOR  BEETLES.  25 

creeping  into  clefts  already  existing,  they  make  tunnels  for 
themselves.  Tunnelling  Beetles  are  almost  invariably  cyliudric 
in  shape,  and  this  is  the  ease  with  the  Scaritidse.  The  thorax 
of  these  Beetles  is  rather  peculiarly  shaped,  being  separated 
from  the  abdomen  by  a  sort  of  neck,  or  '  pedunculated,'  if  we 
use  the  scientific  term.  The  tibiae  of  the  first  pair  of  legs, 
which  are  the  tools  chiefly  used  in  burrowing,  are  very  hard, 
very  strong,  and  boldly  toothed,  and  the  antennae  are  short, 
and  have  scarcely  any  distinction  between  the  joints. 

One  of  the  best  examples  of  the  Scaritidse  is  shown  on  Wood- 
cut II.  Fig.  4,  and  is  an  insect  called  Clivina  fossor.  The 
length  of  this  Beetle  is  rather  more  than  a  quarter  of  an  inch. 
Its  colour  is  exceedingly  variable,  ranging  from  pitchy-black 
to  chestnut,  brown,  or  even  brick-red.  This  variation  in  colour 
depends  chiefly  upon  the  exposure  to  the  air,  the  oldest  speci- 
mens being  the  darkest.  This  gradual  darkening  by  exposure 
to  light  is  very  frequent  among  insects ;  and  a  too  familiar 
example  may  be  found  in  the  common  cockroach,  which  is 
often  seen  almost  white,  darkening  gradually  until  it  assumes 
its  well-known  red-brown  hue.  There  are  only  two  British 
examples  of  this  genus. 

Usually,  the  Clivina  is  found  under  stones  and  in  heaps  of 
decaying  vegetable  matter,  but  I  have  taken  great  numbers 
out  of  a  large  rotten  log,  which  was  seen  to  be  full  of  their 
burrows  as  soon  as  the  bark  was  removed.  I  took  out  of  the 
same  log  both  the  larvae  and  pupae  of  the  same  Beetle,  having 
nothing  to  do  but  to  break  up  the  soft  and  rotten  wood  with  a 
powerful  digger,  previously  laying  a  newspaper  below  the 
log.  The  insects  fell  out  in  numbers  without  being  injured, 
and  could  be  taken  in  any  number. 

The  instrument  which  is  here  mentioned  was  not  of  the  usual 
form,  but  was  made  to  order,  and  a  very  useful  article  it  was. 
It  was  shaped  something  like  a  mattock,  the  blade  being 
trowel-shaped  and  slightly  curved,  and  a  broad  hammer  taking 
the  place  of  the  prongs.  The  blade  was  very  strong  and  sharp- 
edged,  and  on  occasion  could  serve  as  an  axe,  while  the 
hammer  end  was  useful  for  breaking  up  the  hardened  earth  in 
which  many  Beetles  reside.  It  was  particularly  useful  during 
hard  frosts,  because  the  Beetles  are  then  in  their  winter  quarters, 
and  cannot  be  got  at  without  some  such  weapon.     If  I  were 


26  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

to  have  another  digger  made,  I  should  have  the  handle  pro- 
longed into  a  sort  of  crow-bar  with  a  rather  sharp  edge,  so  as 
to  be  able  to  use  it  as  chisel  and  lever  united. 

When  the  insects  are  captured,  the  next  business  is  to  know 
how  to  deal  with  them.  There  is  not  the  least  difficulty  with 
soft-bodied  moths  or  butterflies,  as  they  can  be  easily  killed 
when  caught;  but  the  hard-bodied  Beetles  are  not  so  easily 
deprived  of  life,  and  a  great  number  of  them  will  fight  if 
placed  in  the  'same  vessel,  and  eat,  or  at  least  mutilate,  each 
other.  There  is  nothing  better  for  such  insects,  or  rather  for 
their  capturer,  than  the  '  laurel-bottle.'  This  is  very  easily 
made.  Take  a  wide-mouthed  bottle,  and  fit  a  cork  very  firmly 
into  it.  Bore  a  hole  through  the  cork,  and  insert  in  the  hole 
a  swan-quill  or  short  metal  tube  about  two  inches  long,  so  that 
it  may  project  at  least  half  an  inch  through  the  cork  into  the 
bottle.  The  upper  end  should  be  stopped  with  a  cork,  and  it 
will  be  better  to  cut  the  cork  so  long  that  it  can  be  removed 
by  holding  it  between  the  teeth.  I  always  cut  the  upper  part 
of  the  tube  slopingly,  so  that  a  very  small  Beetle  can  be  scooped 
up  with  it. 

For  many  Beetles  nothing  more  is  requisite,  except  to  put  a 
piece  of  crumpled  rag  at  tlie  bottom, so  as  to  give  them  a  foothold; 
but  for  the  fiercer  and  voracious  Adephaga  an  additional  precau- 
tion is  required,  and  they  must  be  killed  as  soon  as  they  are 
put  into  the  bottle,  or  an  undisfigured  specimen  will  never  be 
obtained. 

If  a  bottle  can  be  obtained  without  any  neck,  the  following 
is  the  neatest  way  of  making  a  laurel-bottle  : — Cut  a  flat  cork 
that  fits  rather  tightly  in  the  bottle,  but  not  too  tightly  to  be 
pushed  up  and  down.  Take  out  a  portion  of  its  middle,  and 
insert  a  piece  of  fine  mre  gauze.  It  will  be  better  to  pass  a 
string  through  each  side  of  the  '  plug,'  as  we  will  call  this  cork, 
and  knot  them  underneath,  so  that  when  the  plug  is  to  be 
withdrawn  it  can  be  pulled  up  by  the  strings. 

Next,  procure  a  handful  of  the  young  buds  and  leaves  of 
laurel,  put  them  into  the  bottle,  and  crush  them  into  a  paste 
with  the  handle  of  a  knife  or  some  such  instrument.  Now 
insert  the  plug,  press  it  down  upon  the  crushed  leaves,  put  in 
the  cork,  and  the  'laurel-bottle'  is  complete.  If  the  bottle 
should   have   a  neck,  make  a  small   gauze   bag,  tie   up   the 


THE  LAUREL-BOTTLE  AND   THE  SWEEP-NET.  27 

crushed  laurel  in  it,  and  put  it  into  the  bottle.  In  either 
case,  the  bottle  must  be  kept  firmly  corked,  or  the  vapour  will 
escape. 

The  use  of  the  bottle  will  be  shown  as  soon  as  it  is  employed. 
Let  a  Beetle,  however  large,  fierce,  or  voracious,  be  put  into  it, 
and  its  fate  is  at  once  sealed.  It  begins  to  kick  and  struggle, 
as  if  it  knew  its  danger ;  but  in  less  than  a  second  the  strug- 
gling is  evidently  over,  and  the  insect  tunis  on  its  back,  with 
its  legs  quivering  in  the  poisoned  air.  The  fact  is,  the  laurel 
contains  a  large  amount  of  prussic  acid,  and  the  interior  of  the 
bottle  is  charged  with  its  vapour.  Now,  as  has  already  been 
mentioned,  the  breathing  apparatus  of  an  insect  pervades  the 
whole  of  the  body,  even  to  the  end  of  the  limbs  ;  and  when  the 
poisonous  vapour  is  inhaled,  it  penetrates  simultaneously  the 
entire  system,  and  causes  almost  instantaneous  death.  It  will 
be  as  well  for  the  beginner  to  use  the  laurel-bottle  for  all 
Beetles,  as  it  does  not  damage  them,  and  he  need  not  trouble 
himself  to  distinguish  the  voracious  from  the  harmless  species. 

There  is  only  one  drawback  to  the  laurel-bottle,  and  this 
is  more  apparent  than  real.  It  stiffens  the  limbs,  so  that  the 
insects  cannot  be  '  set '  properly,  and  the  legs  will  rather  break 
than  bend.  However,  this  difficulty  is  overcome  in  a  very 
simple  way — Jiamely,  by  leaving  them  in  the  bottle  for  a  few 
days,  when  the  rigid  limbs  will  become  relaxed  and  as  flexible 
as  they  were  during  life.  Some  care,  however,  is  required,  as, 
if  they  are  left  too  long  in  tht  bottle,  the  process  of  softening 
extends  too  far,  and  the  limbs  are  apt  to  fall  off  altogether. 

Very  few  instruments  are  required  for  the  capture  of  Beetles 
besides  the  digger  which  has  already  been  described.  Two 
nets  are  almost  indispensable,  one  made  of  stout  net,  and  the 
other  of  brown  holland  or  the  strongest  linen.  The  former 
should  be  about  seven  inches  in  diameter,  and  is  used  for 
fishing  Water  Beetles  and  their  larvsB  out  of  ponds,  ditches,  and 
streams. 

The  latter,  which  is  called  from  its  use  the  sweep-net,  re- 
quires to  be  made  with  some  care,  as  it  meets  with  very  rough 
usage,  and,  unless  properly  made,  will  soon  be  worn  out.  The 
depth  should  be  at  least  twice  its  diameter. 

The  framework  of  the  net  is  simply  a  ring  or  hoop  about 
nine  inches  in  diameter,  made  of  iron  or  brass  about  as  thick 


28  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

as  an  ordinary  quill.  If  it  be  of  lighter  material,  it  "will  not 
endure  the  roug-h  work  for  which  it  is  made.  The  rina:  is 
covered  loosely  with  the  strongest  tape,  and  to  the  tape  is 
sewn  the  net  itself,  which  is  nothing  more  than  a  bag  of  holland 
or  linen.  The  best  sweep-nets  have  a  number  of  small  rings 
soldered  on  the  inside  of  the  hoop.  A  stout  wire  is  run  through 
the  rings,  and  the  net  is  made  fast  to  the  wire.  By  this  plan 
the  net  will  outlast  twenty  nets  made  in  the  ordinary  way. 
The  angles  at  the  bottom  of  the  net  should  be  carefully 
rounded  off. 

Now  for  thfc  mode  of  using  it.  The  simplest  plan  is  to 
attach  to  the  ring  a  strong  screw  which  fits  into  a  ferrule  at  the 
end  of  a  stout  walking-stick.  The  entomologist  can,  there- 
fore, go  about  his  task  without  betraying  any  signs  of  his 
occupation.  The  sweep-net  and  water- net,  folded  round  their 
rings,  are  placed  in  one  pocket,  the  laurel-bottle  is  in  another  ; 
the  digger  is  hidden  under  the  skirts  of  the  coat,  and  a  pair  of 
curved  forceps  is  in  the  waistcoat  pocket. 

When  a  promising  sweeping-place  is  found,  such  as  a  hedge- 
row, some  long  grass,  fern  or  heather,  a  quantity  of  nettles,  a 
turnip  field,  or  any  such  locality,  the  sweep-net  is  screwed  to  the 
walking-stick,  the  laurel-bottle  hung  by  a  string  to  a  button, 
and  all  is  ready.  The  net  is  then  swept  at  random  backwards 
and  forwards  among  the  herbage,  the  stroke  always  having 
an  upward  direction.  This,  with  a  little  practice,  can  be  done 
so  rapidly  as  scarcely  to  impede  the  walk.  It  is  better,  how- 
ever, only  to  sweep  one  kind  of  plant  at  a  time,  so  as  to  be 
sure  of  the  particular  herb  or  vegetable  frequented  by  each 
species. 

After  a  time,  comes  the  examination  of  the  net.  Lay  it  flat 
on  the  ground,  doubling  it  over,  so  that  the  pressure  of  the 
hoop  prevents  the  inmates  from  escaping.  Now,  draw  it  through 
the  hoop  very  slowly,  taking  care  that  none  of  the  more  active 
Beetles  make  their  escape,  especially  those  which  hop  and  fly  ; 
seize  the  insects  as  they  make  their  appearance,  and  drop  them 
into  the  laurel-bottle,  always  replacing  the  cork.  Most  Beetles 
— and,  in  fact,  nearly  all  that  are  taken  in  the  sweep-net — will 
pass  through  the  tube  ;  but  the  large  Grround  Beetles,  some  of 
the  Water  Beetles  and  chafers,  and  one  or  two  others,  require 
to  have  the  large  cork  removed. 


MODE   OF   SETTING   BEETLES.  29 

On  returning  home,  tlie  entomologist  should  take  out  the 
cork  ffora  the  laurel-bottle,  and  empty  the  insects  into  some 
boiling  water,  as  some  of  the  species  have  the  strongest  objec- 
tion to  die,  and,  after  they  have  been  apparently  killed,  have 
a  habit  of  reviving  in  a  manner  that  is  rather  startling  to 
the  young  entomologist.  It  is  no  uncommon  thing  for  an  in- 
sect-hunter to  capture  a  number  of  Beetles,  set  them,  put  them 
away  in  the  '  setting-box,'  and  then,  after  a  week  or  so,  to  find 
three  or  four  of  them  kicking  about  and  doing  their  best  to 
escape.  Some  of  the  Geodephaga  have  been  known  to  drag 
the  pin  from  the  board,  and,  though  still  impaled,  to  devour 
their  fellow  sufferers. 

Ordinary  Beetles  can  be  taken  by  hand,  but  for  the  very 
small  species  the  forceps  is  used.  This  instrument  should 
be  of  good  length.  The  regular  dealers  offer  for  sale  a  brass 
forceps  about  two  inches  in  length.  This  is  nearly  useless. 
Gret  the  forceps  of  steel,  at  least  four  inches  long,  and  made 
with  a  curve.  The  curved  forceps  is  just  as  useful  as  the 
straight  instrument  for  picking  up  a  Beetle  from  the  ground, 
while  it  can  be  inserted  into  crevices  which  the  straight 
forceps  could  not  enter. 

'  Setting '  Beetles  is  not  a  difficult  matter.  For  moderately- 
sized  Beetles  the  following  plan  answers  perfectly.  Take  a  fine 
pin,  such  as  are  sold  for  the  purpose,  and  pass  it  through  the 
disc  of  the  right  elytron,  and  so  fix  the  Beetle  on  a  board.  Now 
draw  out  its  legs,  and  place  them  in  their  natural  position, 
fixing  them,  if  required,  with  pins  and  little  bits  of  card-board. 
Treat  the  antennae  and  palpi  in  the  same  way,  and  nothing 
more  is  needed. 

Very  small  Beetles  should  be  fixed  on  white  card-board  with 
coaguline.  If  the  cement  be  well  thinned,  there  will  be  plenty 
of  time  to  fix  tlie  legs  and  antennae  before  it  sets.  Only  one 
Beetle  should  be  set  on  one  piece  of  card.  In  all  cases,  if  the 
Beetle  have  wings,  and  several  specimens  can  be  procured,  one  of 
them  should  be  set  with  the  wings  expanded  as  in  flight ;  and, 
when  card  is  used,  one  specimen  should  be  laid  on  its  back,  so 
that  the  structure  of  the  mouth  can  be  examined.  Should  a 
more  detailed  examination  be  required,  nothing  is  easier  than  to 
damp  the  card-board,  remove  the  insect,  and  replace  it  after  its 
structure  has  been  investigfated. 


30  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

For  examining  the  details  of  a  Beetle,  especially  if  it  be  a 
small  one,  a  pocket  lens  is  required.  These  instruments  are 
made  with  either  two  or  three  glasses,  and  are  small  enough 
to  be  suspended  to  the  watch-chain  by  a  ring.  In  order  to 
examine  a  Beetle  with  ease,  the  pin  should  be  stuck  into  a 
cork  cemented  on  a  flat  piece  of  lead,  so  that  it  cannot  be 
knocked  over.  My  own  instrument  is  made  of  a  champagne 
cork,  cut  into  a  cylindrical  form  and  rounded  on  the  top.  I  pre- 
fer the  champagne  cork  for  two  reasons — the  first  being  that  it 
is  of  an  uniform  and  close  texture,  without  the  holes  and  hard 
spots  which  are  found  in  ordinary  corks,  and  the  second  being 
that  it  has  not  been  pierced  with  the  corkscrew. 

Only  one  other  English  genus  belongs  to  this  family,  namely, 
the  genus  Dyschirius.  All  its  members  are  very  brilliant,  very 
active,  and  very  small,  the  largest  being  barely  one-sixth  of  an 
inch  in  length.  Small  as  they  are,  they  are  as  ferocious  as  the 
Tiger  Beetles,  and  are  most  persevering  in  their  chase  of  prey, 
which  mostly  consists  of  Beetles  belonging  to  the  Brachelytra. 
There  are  several  Beetles  belonging  to  the  genus  Bledius  or 
Hesperophilus,  which  inhabit  the  sandy  shores,  and  live  in 
small  burrows  which  they  make  in  the  sand  just  above  high- 
water  mark.  On  these  little  insects  the  Dyschirii  feed,  chasing 
them  through  their  txmnels  just  as  weasels  chase  rats. 

All  these  Beetles  are  cylindrical,  and  their  surface  has  a  sort 
of  brassy  polish.  The  mandibles  are  stout,  very  sharp,  and 
toothed  at  the  base.  The  antennse  are  slender,  with  the  second 
joint  the  longest,  and  the  thorax  is  globular. 


CHAPTER   III. 

OEODEPHA  (?.!— continued. 

We  now  come  to  the  important  family  of  the  Carabidse,  to 
which  belong  some  of  the  largest  and  most  powerful  of  the 
Geodephaga.  The  Carabidse  are  in  many  points  exactly  like 
the  CicindelidEe,  and  if  isolated  parts  of  the  mouth  were  taken 
to  an  entomologist,  he  would  have  some  difficulty  in  knowing 
to  which  family  they  belonged.  But,  whereas  the  Cicindelidse 
have  a  notch  on  the  inner  side  of  the  front  tibice,  these  limbs 
are  without  the  notch  in  the  Carabidse. 

The  typical  genus  is  well  represented  in  this  country,  and  its 
members  are  familiar  to  us  by  the  title  of  Ground  Beetles  or 
Garden  Beetles.  They  are  the  largest  of  the  family,  some  of 
them  being  an  inch  in  length,  and  strongly  though  elegantly 
shaped.  They  are  very  active,  as  far  as  their  legs  go,  but  they 
have  no  wings,  these  members  being  only  found  in  a  rudi- 
mentary state  under  the  hard  and  shining  elytra,  wliich  in 
most  of  the  species  are  soldered  together  and  cannot  be  opened. 
In  one  species,  however,  Carabus  granulatus,  the  elytra  are 
capable  of  motion,  and  the  wings  are  more  developed  than  is 
generally  the  case.  They  are,  however,  much  too  small  to  be 
used  for  flight.  The  mandibles  have  a  small  tooth  in  the 
middle,  and  the  labial  palpi  have  the  last  joint  securiform,  or 
ase-shaped.  The  thorax  is  somewhat  heart-shaped,  and  has  the 
posterior  angles  boldly  marked.  In  the  male  the  tarsi  of  the 
first  pair  of  legs  are  broader  than  in  the  female. 

Thirteen  British  species  of  Carabus  are  known,  one  of  which 
is  represented  on  Plate  I.  Fig.  b,  in  the  act  of  chasing  the 
Brachinus.  It  is  the  Carabus  Tnonilisy  a  common  and  very 
handsome  insect.  It  is  exceedingly  variable  in  colour,  and 
slightly  so  in  marking,  but  may  be  described  as  follows: — The 
head  is  black,  with  bronze  or  green  reflections,  wrinkled  in  front, 


32  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

and  there  is  a  deep  hollow  on  each  side  just  between  the  an- 
tennae. The  thorax  is  wrinkled  at  the  hinder  angles  and  deeply 
notched  behind,  and  its  colour  is  deep  copper.  The  elytra  are 
metallic  green  or  violet,  and  sometimes  entirely  green.  Each 
elytron  is  marked  with  three  rows  of  raised  strise,  broken 
regularly  at  intervals,  or  'interrupted,'  to  use  the  scientific 
term,  and  between  them  are  three  ridges  which  are  not  broken. 
The  line  along  the  suture  is  black,  and  the  imder  side  of  the 
insect  is  dull  black. 

This  Beetle  is  common  in  gardens,  and,  like  the  rest  of  its 
kin,  ought  to  be  encouraged  and  protected,  as  it  feeds  almost 
entirely  on  the  smaller  insects,  and  never  meddles  with  the 
vegetables.  One  of  the  species,  Carabus  auratus,  which  is 
plentiful  in  France,  though  very  scarce  in  this  country,  is  most 
useful  to  the  farmer,  as  it  watches  for  the  female  cockchafers 
as  they  descend  to  deposit  their  eggs  in  the  ground,  and  then 
kills  and  eats  them,  thus  doing  more  good  than  if  it  fed  on  the 
destructive  grub  itself. 

It  can  be  found  in  the  daytime  by  lifting  stones,  flower-pots, 
logs  of  wood,  dead  leaves,  or  similar  objects  that  have  been 
lying  in  one  place  for  some  little  time.  Care  must  be  taken 
in  handling  it,  as  all  the  Carabi  have  an  unpleasant  habit  of 
pouring  from  their  mouths  a  blackish  fluid  which  stains  the 
fingers,  and  is  of  a  very  disagreeable  character.  It  is  said  that 
the  insect  can  project  this  fluid  to  some  distance  ;  but  I  have 
never  seen  this  done,  though  I  have  caught  great  numbers  of 
Carabi,  and  given  them  every  provocation  to  make  use  of  this 
weapon,  which  is  analogous  to  the  explosion  of  the  Brachinus. 

All  the  Carabidse  are  beautiful  insects,  and  it  is  difficult  to 
select  any  one  that  is  pre-eminent  beyond  its  fellows.  Per- 
sonally, I  think  that  Carabus  cancellatus  carries  off  the  palm, 
though  it  is  not  so  large  as  several  of  its  congeners.  Its 
shape  is  peculiarly  elegant,  and  its  colour  is  greenish  brass,  or 
coppery,  sometimes  deepening  into  black.  On  each  of  the 
elytra  are  three  chain-like  marks  composed  of  oblong  tubercles 
placed  end  to  end,  and  between  each  of  them  is  a  single  bold 
ridge.  These  marks  are  similar  in  character  to  those  of  the 
preceding  insect,  but  they  are  very  much  larger  and  bolder, 
and  can  easily  be  distinguished  without  the  aid  of  a  lens.  There 
are  the  rudiments  of  wings  to  be  seen  under  the  elytra.     In 


PLATE   II. 
GROUND    BEETLES. 


1.  Lebia  crux-minor. 

2.  Calosoma  inquisitor 

3.  Carabus  intricatus. 

4.  Cychrus  rostratus. 

5.  Calosoma,  larva  in  nest  of  Social  catei"pillar. 

6.  Carabus,  larva. 

Plants  :— 

Trunk  and  branch  of  Oak  (Quercus  Rohur).     Above. 
Wood  Anemone  (Anemone  nemorosa) .     Across  Centre. 
Cowslip  (J¥imula  veris).    In  Middle. 


,  CAEABUa  33 

the  spring  time  this  insect  may  oe  tauen  m  decaying  willow- 
trees. 

Another  species  of  this  genus,  Garabus  intricatus,  may  be 
seen  on  Plate  II.  Fig.  2,  where  it  is  represented  as  ascending  the 
trunk  of  an  oak-tree  in  search  of  prey.  If  any  of  my  readers 
should  happen  to  see  the  insect  itself,  he  will  be  the  envy 
of  all  brother  entomologists,  inasmuch  as  it  is  not  only  a 
singularly  handsome  but  a  very  scarce  insect.  It  is  the  largest 
British  Carabus  yet  known,  and  is  finely  marked  and  coloured. 
The  head  is  black,  with  a  violet  gloss,  and  has  a  deep  impres- 
sion on  either  side.  The  thorax  is  of  the  deepest  violet  or 
green,  becoming  black  on  the  margin,  and  is  wrinkled  over  its 
entire  surface.  The  elytra  are  very  deep  and  shining-violet, 
and  on  each  eljrtron  there  are  three  rows  of  elevated  tubercles 
of  an  olive-green,  the  remainder  of  the  surface  being  wrinkled. 
The  under  surface  of  the  body  is  black,  glossed  with  violet. 

At  Fig.  6,  in  the  left-hand  lower  corner  of  the  same  plate,  is 
seen  the  larva  of  a  Carabus.  These  larvae  are,  like  the  perfect 
insects,  carnivorous.  They  are  armed  with  powerful  jaws,  having 
d  strong  tooth  near  the  base.  The  antennae  and  maxillary 
palpi  have  each,  four  joints,  and  there  are  six  ocelli,  or  simple 
eyes,  on  each  side.  At  the  end  of  the  tail  are  two  horny  spines, 
each  armed  with  a  sort  of  spur. 

The  last  species  which  will  be  described  is  the  Carabus 
violaceus,  one  of  the  commonest  and  largest  of  the  species. 
It  sometimes  exceeds  an  inch  in  length.  Its  colom-  is  rather 
remarkable.  At  first  sight  it  appears  to  be  a  black  insect,  but 
a  more  careful  examination  shows  that  the  supposed  black  is 
in  reality  the  deepest  violet,  which  on  the  margins  of  the 
elytra  and  thorax  becomes  of  a  rich  burnished  golden-violet, 
like  as  of  polished  metal.  The  whole  of  the  upper  surface  is 
granulated,  the  elytra  more  deeply  than  the  thorax,  along  the 
centre  of  which  there  is  a  slightly  elevated  line.  Below,  it  is 
black,  with  a  slight  green  or  blue  reflection.  Altogether  there 
are  thirteen  British  Carabi. 

These  Beetles  afford  good  practice  in  setting.  They  are 
large  enough  to  bear  handling,  and  yet  small  enough  to  require 
care.  Their  legs  are  long,  and  look  well  when  set  out,  and 
the  parts  of  the  mouth  are  sufficiently  large  to  show  whether 
the  operator  has  been  careful  about   his'  work.     Their  oniy 

D 


34  INSECTS   AT   HOME. 

drawback  is  the  lack  of  wings,  but  it  is  more  than  compensated 
by  the  Dther  advantages.  These  Beetles,  by  the  way,  are  very 
tenacious  of  life,  and,  though  they  can  be  al  least  rendered 
insensible  and  harmless  bv  the  laurel-bottle,  it  will  be  as  well 
to  dip  them  into  boiling  water  before  passing  the  pin  through 
them,  so  as  to  avoid  the  sight  of  an  impaled  Beetle  trying  to 
release  itself,  or  walking  about  the  cabinet  drawer  with  a  pin 
through  its  body. 

I  have  always  had  a  great  liking  for  these  Beetles,  from  the 
time  when  I  was  accustomed  to  harness  them  into  fairy  chariots, 
to  that  in  which  I  first  learned  from  them  the  wonders  of 
an  insect's  organisation,  and  traced  in  them  the  early  rudi- 
ments of  those  structui'es  which  find  their  fullest  development 


Next  on  our  list  comes  the  genus  Notiophilus,  which,  being 
translated,  signifies  wet-lover,  and  is  a  very  appropriate  title 
All  these  Beetles  are  very  small,  none  of  them  exceeding  ji 
quarter  of  an  inch  in  length.  They  may  be  found  on  the 
banks  of  ponds  and  streams,  running  over  the  wet  soil  with 
great  activity  in  search  of  prey.  In  consequence  of  theij 
fondness  for  water  they  were  for  a  long  time  classed  among  the 
Hydradephaga,  or  the  voracioiis  Beetles  of  the  water,  but  have 
now  been  placed  in  their  right  position  among  the  Carabidse. 

On  "Woodcut  No.  II.  Fig.  5,  is  a  magnified  figm-e  of  a 
common  species  of  this  genus,  called  Notiophilus  biguttatus. 
It  is  a  very  small  Beetle,  sometimes  only  one-sixth  of  an  inch 
in  length,  and  seldom,  if  ever,  exceeding  a  quarter  of  an  inch. 
It  is  a  pretty  little  creature,  with  a  highly  polished  sm-face,  as 
if  made  of  bronze  in  which  the  copper  predominated.  Five 
species  of  this  genus  are  known  to  inhabit  England,  and  they 
may  be  found  hidden  under  stones  or  at  the  roots  of  trees  in 
damp  places.  Willow-trees  on  the  borders  of  streams  are  good 
localities  for  these  pretty  little  Beetles.  They  do  not,  however, 
confine  themselves  to  wet  places,  although  they  prefer  such 
places  as  a  residence.  They  may  be  seen  running  about  in  the 
hottest  weather  over  places  a  mile  at  least  from  water. 

The  maxillary  palpi  of  this  genu3  have  the  last  joint  rather 
egg-shar)ed,  and  sharply  cut  off  at  luc  end,  as  may  be  seen  by 
reference  to  Woodcut  II.  Pig.  e,  which  represents  the  left  labial 


MAEITIME  BEETLES. 


35 


palpus  of  this  insect.  The  antennae  are  slender,  and  rather 
thicker  at  the  tip  than  at  the  base.  The  head  has  a  deep 
furrow  between  the  eyes,  and  the  elytra  are  long  and  flattened. 

Another  genus  now  comes  before  us,  our  example  of  which  is 
Nehria  brevicolUs,  a  figure  of  which  is  given  on  Woodcut  III. 
Fig.  1.     These  are  larger  insects  than  those  of  the  preceding 


1.  Nebria  brevicollis.        2.  Pogonns  hiridipennis.        3.  Pri",tonychus  terricola.        4.  Sphodrus 
leucopthaluiiis.  5.  Calathus  cisteloides.  a.  Nehria,  labial  palpi.  6.  Nebria,  maxillary 

palpus.        c.  Pogonus,  labial  palpi.        d.  Pogonus,  maxillary  palpus. 

genus,  their  length  exceeding  half  an  inch,  and  sometimes  reach- 
ing three-quarters  of  an  inch.  In  these  insects  the  antennae  are 
long  and  slender,  and  the  mentum  is  divided  into  three  distinct 
lobes,  the  central  lobe  being  cleft,  as  it  were,  into  two.  The 
thorax  is  heart-shaped  and  abruptly  cut  off  both  in  front  and 
behind,  the  basal  angle  being  straight.  The  wings  are  well  de- 
veloped.   Most  of  these  Beetles  belong  to  the  maritime  insects. 

D  2 


36  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

The  present  species  is  called  by  the  name  brevicollia,  in  con- 
sequence of  its  short  neck.  The  head,  thorax,  and  elytra  are 
black,  and  the  antennae,  palpi,  tibiae,  and  tarsi  are  dull,  pitchy- 
red.  The  elytra  have  their  surface  marked  with  bold  striae, 
which  are  thickly  punctured,  and  have  several  large^pits  on 
the  third  stria  from  the  suture.  Although  plentiful  enough 
when  insect-hunters  know  where  to  look  for  them,  the  Nebrias 
are  not  often  found,  owing  to  their  habit  of  concealing  them- 
selves in  the  crevices  of  sea-side  rocks,  so  that  it  is  necessary 
to  break  open  the  rocks  in  order  to  dislodge  the  Beetles.  The 
digger  mentioned  on  page  25  will  be  found  very  useful  for  this 
purpose.  The  Beetles  prefer  the  sandstone  rocks  to  the  chalk 
cli£fs  for  their  residence.  The  length  of  this  species  is  one-third 
of  an  inch.  The  peculiarly-formed  labial  palpi  of  this  genus 
can  be  seen  by  reference  to  Woodcut  No.  II.  Fig.  a,  and  the 
maxillary  palpi  at  Fig.  b.  Four  species  of  Nebria  are  known 
to  inhabit  England. 

If  the  reader  will  refer  to  Plate  II.  Fig.  2,  he  will  see  repre- 
sented an  episode  in  insect  life  which  is  not  common  in  Eng- 
land, where  the  insect  is  scarce,  though  sufficiently  so  on  the 
Continent,  where  it  is  plentiful.  It  seems  very  strange  that 
so  narrow  a  strip  of  sea  should  separate  so  many  insects  from 
us,  especially  as  vessels  are  continually  passing  backwards  and 
forwards.  It  is  a  fact,  however,  that  many  of  our  very  rarest 
insects  are  quite  common  on  the  opposite  coasts  of  France, 
where  they  live  under  exactly  similar  conditions  as  those  of  our 
own  island.  I  cannot  but  think  that,  in  cases  where  the  insect 
is,  as  in  the  present  instance,  an  extremely  useful  one,  any 
entomologist  would  be  doing  a  patriotic  act  by  bringing  over 
a  number  of  them  and  turning  them  out  to  get  their  living  in 
England. 

There  is  no  difficulty  in  distinguishing  the  genus  Calosoma 
from  Carabus.  The  body  and  thorax  are  much  more  globose 
and  rounded,  the  third  joint  of  the  antennae  is  flattened,  and 
well-developed  wings  are  seen  beneath  the  elytra. 

This  handsome  Beetle,  called  scientifically  Calosoina  syco- 
phanta,  ranks  among  our  rarest  British  insects,  but  absolutely 
swarms  in  many  parts  of  the  Continent,  being  so  plentiful  in 
fir-woods,  that  if  an  entomologist  go  out  at  night,  after  the 


LAIiWA   OF  THE   CALOSOMA.  37 

manner  of  his  kind,  with  sugar  and  a  lantern,  the  trunks  of 
the  trees  appear  to  be  quite  studded  with  gems,  which  are  the 
shining  green  bodies  of  the  Calosoma.  • 

The  name  Calosoma  is  formed  from  two  Greek  words,  signi- 
fying beautiful  body,  and  is  more  appropriate  than  the  gene- 
rality of  insect  names.  The  head  and  thorax  are  very  deep 
violet,  almost  amounting  to  black,  the  violet  being  most  brilliant 
on  the  margins  of  the  thorax,  which  are  flattened  and  slightly 
turned  up  like  the  brim  of  a  hat.  The  whole  surface  of  the 
thorax  is  finely  granulated,  and  there  is  a  faint  but  distinct 
groove  along  its  centre.  The  elytra  are  singularly  beautiful. 
They  are  gold-green  '  shot '  with  blue,  the  hues  shifting,  like 
those  of  a  pigeon's  neck,  with  every  change  of  light.  They  are 
deeply  and  regularly  striated,  and  on  each  elytron  there  are 
three  rows  of  rather  deep  punctures,  placed  at  some  distance 
apart.  Counting  from  the  suture,  the  pvmctures  are  placed  on 
the  fourth,  eighth,  and  twelfth  striog.  Although  they  are  well 
marked,  they  cannot  be  properly  seen  without  a  magnifying 
glass,  though  when  viewed  with  a  side-light  they  look  like 
three  rows  of  tiny  glittering  points.  Beneath,  the  insect  is  black, 
glossed  with  bronze.     Its  length  is  rather  more  than  an  inch. 

It  is  impossible  to  calculate  the  benefit  which  this  beautiful 
insect  confers  upon  the  countries  in  which  it  lives,  and  it  is  not 
too  much  to  say  that  but  for  the  Calosoma  the  fir-tree  would 
be  extinct  in  many  of  those  places  from  which  we  derive  our 
chief  stores  of  timber.  Both  in  the  perfect  and  larval  condi- 
tions it  is  carnivorous,  feeding  upon  certain  destructive  cater- 
pillars belonging  to  the  Bombycidse,  among  which  those  of  the 
Processionary  Moth  {Cnethocampa  processionea)  and  the  Gipsy 
Moth  {Liparis  dispar)  are  the  most  conspicuous.  It  does  not, 
however,  feed  only  on  the  caterpillars  of  moths,  but  also  devours 
the  larvae  of  the  Pine  Saw  Fly  {Lophyrus  pini),  thus  selecting, 
with  a  curious  instinct,  the  very  creatures  which  do  most  harm 
to  the  forest.  In  the  plate  the  insect  is  represented  as  looking 
down  from  the  branch  to  which  it  has  climbed  in  search  of  the 
Brown-tail  Moth's  nest. 

Although  it  eats  many  of  these  larvae  after  it  has  attained 
the  perfect  form,  it  commits  the  greatest  ravages  while  itself 
in  the  larval  condition.  In  this  state  it  is  ugly  as  it  is  beautiful 
when  it  becomes   a  Beetle.     It  is  a  black,  soft-bodied  grub, 


38  INSECTS  AT  HOilE. 

something  like  that  of  the  Carabus,  flattened  and  scaly  on  the 
upper  surface  of  each  segment  and  the  head.  It  has  two  large, 
sharp,  curved,  and  powerful  mandibles,  from,  which  no  cater- 
pillar has  a  chance  of  'iscape,  and  there  are  two  horny  spines  at 
the  end  of  the  tail.  Its  length,  when  full-grown,  is  about  an 
inch  and  a  half. 

The  voracity  of  this  larva  is  amazing.  It  will  eat  several 
caterpillars,  and  even  pupa3,  daily,  and  gorges  itself  to  such  an 
extent  that  the  soft  body  becomes  quite  distended  like  that  of 
a  full-fed  leech,  and  the  creature  is  quite  incapable  of  moving. 
In  this  condition  it  often  falls  a  victim  to  its  own  voracity,  and 
that  in  rather  a  curious  manner.  It  has  been  mentioned  that, 
among  other  insects,  the  Processionary  Moth  forms  a  large 
proportion  of  its  food.  Now  the  caterpillars  of  this  moth  are 
social  in  their  habits,  and  spin  large  webs,  in  which  they  live 
together.  Into  these  nests  the  larva  of  the  Calosoma  is  sure  to 
creep,  and  sometimes  as  many  as  five  or  six  have  been  found  in 
the  same  web,  feeding  on  the  inmates.  Sometimes  it  happens  that 
a  Calosoma  grub,  hungry  and  wandering  in  search  of  food,  dis- 
covers a  nest  of  Processionary  caterpillars,  and  straightway  makes 
its  entrance.  Being  very  hungry,  it  seizes  the  first  creature 
to  which  it  comes,  and  sometimes  catches  its  gorged  and  help- 
less relative,  which  it  devours  without  the  least  compunction. 

I  have  already  mentioned  that  the  Calosoma  is  in  all  proba- 
bility the  means  of  preserving  the  supply  of  fir-wood.  In  some 
years,  as  often  happens  with  destructive  insects,  sundry  pine- 
feeding  caterpillars  absolutely  swarm  in  the  forest,  the  insect 
armies  being  so  vast  that  anyone  walking  through  the  forest 
hears  the  sound  of  their  busy  jaws  on  every  side  as  they  devour 
the  leaves.  With  any  tree  such  a  visitation  would  be  a  mis- 
fortune, but  with  the  pine-trees  it  is  death.  Ordinary  trees, 
if  stripped  of  their  leaves,  will  put  forth  a  fresh  set  of  foliage 
in  the  succeeding  year,  and  suffer  little  except  being  thrown 
back  in  their  growth ;  but  a  pine-tree,  when  deprived  of  its 
leaves,  has  no  such  power,  and  always  dies.  The  reader  will, 
therefore,  see  how  invaluable  are  the  services  rendered  to  man 
by  this  insect,  which  keeps  down  the  numbers  of  the  obnoxious 
caterpillars,  and  saves  whole  forests  from  destruction. 

Trees  that  have  been  perishing  through  the  attacks  of  cater- 
pillars have  been  saved  by  the  Calosoma.     Some  years  ago, 


DISCOVERY  OF  THE  CALOSOMA.  39 

M.  Boisgerard,  finding  that  some  trees  were  being  ravaged  by 
the  caterpilkirs  of  the  Gipsy  Moth,  placed  upon  the  trees 
several  females  of  this  Beetle,  and  simply  left  them.  Next 
year,  the  caterpillars  appeared  as  usual,  but  in  their  nests  were 
the  larvse  of  the  Calosoma,  and  in  two  or  three  years  the  de- 
structive caterpillars  were  completely  cleared  oflf. 

I  should  not  be  at  all  surpiised  if  the  insect  could  be  em- 
ployed in  England  for  the  same  purpose.  It  would  have  plenty 
of  food  among  the  caterpillar  armies  that  occasionally  devas- 
tate certain  localities ;  and,  if  at  first  it  could  escape  the 
fingers  of  collectors,  it  might  have  a  chance  of  becoming  natu- 
ralised here,  and  rendering  to  England  the  services  which  at 
present  it  performs  on  the  Continent.  It  is  noteworthy  that 
the  first  recorded  British  specimen  of  this  splendid  insect  was 
captured  at  Aldborough,  by  Crabbe,  the  poet. 

Another  species  of  the  same  genus  is  found  in  England,  and 
is  less  rare  than  the  preceding  insect.  This  is  Calosoma  in- 
quisitor. It  is  about  three-quarters  of  an  inch  in  length,  and, 
though  a  beautiful  Beetle,  is  not  so  handsome  as  its  larger 
relative.  A  fine  specimen  now  before  me  was  captured  by 
myself  in  Bagley  Wood,  in  the  year  1846,  at  which  time  that 
happy  hunting  ground  of  entomologists  was  open  to  all  who 
went  there  for  entomological  purposes,  and  did  not  disturb  the 
game.  It  had  but  lately  emerged  from  the  pupal  state,  and  I 
found  it  under  a  stone,  where  it  was  hiding  itself  until  its  soft 
elytra  had  gained  their  hardness.  It  was  so  soft,  indeed,  that 
I  was  almost  afraid  to  handle  it,  lest  its  shape  should  be  injm-ed. 
However,  it  soon  became  hard  and  glossy,  and,  never  having 
been  exposed  to  injury,  is  a  singularly  perfect  specimen.  I 
find  in  the  MSS.  of  the  late  Mr.  Hope,  which  he  kindly  lent 
me,  that,  in  the  summer  of  1820,  several  were  beaten  out  of 
the  foliage  of  oaks,  and  others  dug  from  beneath  the  roots  of 
the  same  trees  in  the  early  spring. 

The  colour  of  this  Beetle  is  very  beautiful.  The  head  and 
thorax  are  very  deep  bronze-green,  and  finely  granulated,  the 
latter  having  a  very  deep  pit  on  either  side  near  the  hinder 
angle,  and  its  edge  being  very  bright  blue-g:reen.  The  elytra 
are  of  a  similar  colour,  and  covered  with  strice.  Each  stria  is 
broken  at  short  intervals  with  transverse  lines,  perceptible  even 


40  INSECTS  AT  HOIVIE. 

to  the  naked  eye,  and  the  edges  are  bright  blue-green,  like 
those  of  the  thorax.  There  are  three  rows  of  impressions  on 
the  elytra,  similar  to  those  upon  the  preceding  species,  but  not 
so  shining.  The  under  surface  of  this  handsome  insect  is  dull 
blue-green,  and  the  legs  and  antennae  are  black. 

Next  in  order  comes  the  plainly-coloured,  but  elegantly- 
shaped  insect  called  Cychrus  rostratus,  the  only  British  ex- 
ample of  the  genus,  a  figure  of  which  is  given  on  Plate  II. 
Fig.  4. 

The  members  of  this  genus  can  easily  be  distinguished  by 
the  long  and  slender  head  and  thorax,  by  the  very  large  elytra, 
which  lap  over  the  abdomen  on  either  side,  and  by  the  pro- 
jecting mandibles.  The  last-mentioned  peculiarity  has  earned 
for  the  insect  the  specific  title  of  rostratus,  or  '  beaked,'  and, 
indeed,  the  mandibles,  head,  and  thorax  are  so  prolonged,  that 
the  insect  might  easily  be  mistaken  for  one  of  the  larger 
weevils. 

To  the  unassisted  eye  this  is  a  very  dull-coloured  insect, 
appearing  to  be  uniform  black-brown ;  but  when  viewed 
through  a  magnifying  glass,  the  surface  of  the  thorax  is  seen 
to  be  thickly  wrinkled  and  punctured,  and  that  of  the  elytra 
finely  granulated,  so  that  a  soft  and  satiny  gloss  is  imparted  to 
the  otherwise  unattractive  sm-face.  Its  length  is,  on  an  average, 
rather  more  than  three-quarters  of  an  inch. 

It  is  not  reckoned  among  our  common  insects,  probably  on 
account  of  its  habit  of  concealing  itself  in  dark  places,  in  which 
it  may  easily  escape  observation  in  consequence  of  its  sombre 
colouring.  It  is  to  be  found  under  heaps  of  leaves,  stones,  or 
wood-piles,  such  as  are  left  by  the  fagot-makers.  I  have 
taken  it  in  Wiltshire  and  about  Oxford.  This  is  one  of  the 
very  few  Coleoptera  which  can  produce  any  sound,  and  the 
squeaking  noise  which  is  heard  when  the  Beetle  is  handled,  is 
thought  to  be  produced  by  the  friction  of  the  elytra  against 
the  tip  of  the  abdomen.  The  beautiful  Musk  Beetle  produces 
a  similar  sound,  which  will  be  described  when  we  come  to  that 
insect. 

The  larva  of  the  Cychrus  is  something  like  that  of  Carabus, 
but  shorter  and  broader,  and  the  projecting  spines  at  the  end 
of  the  body  are  very  short  and  without  spurs.     The  palpi  of 


EXAMINING  A  BEETLE'S  MOUTH.  41 

this  genus  have  the  last  joint  very  large  and  axe-shaped.  Here 
may  mention  that  nothing  is  easier  than  to  examine  the 
head  and  mouth  of  a  Beetle,  without  doing  the  least  injury  to 
the  specimen,  even  though  it  be  hard  and  dry  in  the  cabinet. 
Take  the  head  between  the  points  of  the  forceps,  bend  it  gently 
backwards  and  forwards,  and  it  will  snap  off.  Now  put  it  into 
warm  water,  and  let  it  remain  there  until  the  parts  are  quite 
relaxed.  Then  stick  a  needle  perpendicularly  into  a  piece  of 
cork,  and  run  the  eye  portion  into  the  '  occipital '  hole,  i.e. 
that  at  the  junction  of  the  head  and  thorax.  With  a  fine 
needle,  the  parts  of  the  mouth  can  be  drawn  out  so  as  to  be 
properly  displayed,  and,  when  they  have  been  examined,  the 
head  can  be  replaced,  and  fixed,  rather  firmer  than  before,  by  a 
small  drop  of  coaguline.  This  will  be  found  a  good  plan  when 
a  Beetle  has  been  badly  set,  and  the  parts  of  the  mouth  are  not 
properly  seen. 

Next  in  order  comes  the  family  of  the  Chlseniidse.  In  these 
Beetles  the  front  tarsi  of  the  males  have  either  two  or  three 
joints  much  widened  and  squared,  and  very  sponge-like  below. 
On  Woodcut  III.  Fig.  2,  is  given  an  example  of  this  family, 
the  insect  being  called  Pogonus  luridipennis.  The  members 
of  this  genus  have  the  last  joint  of  the  palpi  egg-shaped  and 
rather  elongated,  with  the  tip  blunt.  The  labial  palpi  are 
shown  at  Fig.  c,  and  the  maxillary  palpi  at  Fig.  d,  the  internal 
maxillary  palpus  being  small  and  very  slender. 

They  are  all  rather  brilliant  and  shining  Beetles,  the  surface 
of  their  bodies  having  a  metallic  polish.  They  are  small  and 
maritime  in  their  habits,  and  may  generally  be  found  on  the 
southern  coasts  of  England,  hiding  imder  the  heaps  of  sea-weed 
which  are  flung  by  the  waves  upon  the  shore. 

The  present  species  is  about  a  quarter  of  an  inch  in  length, 
or  a  little  more,  and  is  a  pretty  little  Beetle.  The  head  and 
thorax  are  shining  green,  with  coppery  reflections.  The  thorax 
has  a  longitudinal  furrow  along  the  centre,  a  triangular  hollow 
in  front,  and  a  rather  deep  pit  on  the  base  at  either  side.  The 
elytra  are  pale  ochreous-yellow,  clo-uded  with  brown  in  the 
middle,  a  peculiarity  which  has  earned  for  the  insect  the  spe- 
cific name  of  luridipennis,  or  '  pale-winged.'  They  are  covered 
with  greenish  striae,  and  on  the  third  stria  are  three  rather 


42  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

deep  impressions.  The  body  is  greenish  below,  changing  to 
rust-red  at  the  tip.  This  species  was  first  found  on  the  coasts 
of  Norfolk.     Three  British  species  of  Pogonus  are  known. 

Another  Beetle  belonging  to  this  family  is  shown  on  "Wood- 
cut III.  Fig.  3.  Its  name  is  Pristonychus  terricola.  As  may 
be  seen  by  reference  to  the  illustration,  it  is  a  very  prettily- 
shaped  insect,  the  curves  of  the  outline  harmonising  in  a  way 
that  would  have  delighted  the  soul  of  Hogarth,  had  he  taken 
the  trouble  to  look  at  Nature's  original  of  his  celebrated  '  line 
of  beauty.' 

Except  in  shape,  it  is  not  a  very  pleasing  insect  to  the  eye, 
the  colour  being  black,  with  a  violet  gloss  when  examined  in 
a  proper  light.  The  head  is  pitchy-black,  and  the  thorax  is 
sometimes  of  the  same  colom'  as  the  head,  and  sometimes  blue- 
black,  with  a  faint  furrow  in  the  centre,  and  a  deep  oblong 
pit  on  either  side  of  the  base.  The  elytra  are  of  the  same 
colour,  and  rather  flattened,  and  covered  with  faint  but  regular 
striae,  which  are  slightly  punctured.  Along  the  edges  there  is 
a  series  of  roundish  pits. 

This  Beetle  is  plentiful  in  most  parts  of  England,  and  may 
be  found  in  cupboards,  cellars,  dark  outhouses,  and  similar 
localities.     There  is  only  one  British  species. 

There  is  a  Beetle,  called  Sphodrus  leucopthalmus,  which  is 
closely  allied  to  the  preceding  insect,  and,  indeed,  is  included 
in  the  same  genus  by  many  systematic  entomologists.  The 
reader  should  try  to  catch  one  of  these  Beetles — no  very  diffi- 
cult matter — and  look  at  the  very  long  third  joint  of  the  an- 
tennsB,  and  the  long  and  slender  palpi.  In  the  males,  the 
trochanters  of  the  hind  pair  of  legs  are  developed  into  long 
spines.     This  Beetle  is  shown  on  Woodcut  III.  Fig.  4. 

The  colour  of  the  insect  is  pitchy-black,  with  a  slight  polish. 
The  head  is  smooth,  oblong,  and  has  an  impression  on  either 
side.  The  elytra  are  flattish,  and  faintly  streaked,  the  streaks 
resolving  themselves  under  the  lens  into  rows  of  small  punc- 
tiu'es.  Like  the  preceding  species,  it  is  common  in  outhouses, 
stables,  and  similar  localities,  and  is  said  to  feed  upon  the 
cockroaches  and  other  noisome  and  dark-loving  insects.  So, 
though  the  Sphodrus  be  not  a  handsome  Beetle,  it  is  worth 


SUN  BEETLES.  43 

protection,  inasmuch  as  it  is  very  far  preferable  to  the  cock- 
roach.    This  is  the  only  British  representative  of  the  genus. 

On  Woodcut  II.  Fig.  5,  is  represented  the  Beetle  called 
Oalathus  cisteloides.  The  members  of  this  genus  can  be  known 
by  the  triangular  head,  the  peculiarly-shaped  thorax,  and  the 
elliptical  elytra.  The  mandibles  are  toothed  at  the  base.  The 
colour  of  this  insect  is  black,  with  a  slight  gloss  in  the  male, 
and  quite  dull  in  the  female.  The  triangular  head  has  a  pit 
on  either  side  of  the  antennae,  the  thorax  is  wrinkled  on  the 
disc,  and  on  either  side  of  the  base  is  a  deep  impression.  The 
elytra  are  rather  convex  and  covered  with  shallow  strise,  on 
which  are  faint  punctures.     The  wings  are  undeveloped. 

This  is  a  very  common  Beetle,  and  is  one  of  the  wet-lovers, 
being  generally  foimd  along  the  bottoms  of  damp  hedges,  under 
heaps  of  stones,  and  similar  localities.  Eight  Bi'itish  species 
of  Calathus  are  acknowledged  by  entomologists. 

"We  now  come  to  the  pretty  little  Beetles  that  are  ranked 
under  the  generic  title  of  Anchomenus.  All  these  insects  have 
an  elongated  thorax,  the  head  egg-shaped,  and  the  antennae 
with  the  third  joint  twice  as  long  as  the  second. 

They  are  very  active,  and  very  brilliantly  coloured,  and,  like 
most  bright-colom-ed  Beetles,  love  the  sunshine,  in  which  they 
dart  about  with  exceeding  rapidity.  The  popular  name  of 
Sun  Beetle  is  given  to  these  and  other  insects,  in  consequence 
of  this  peculiarity.  They  are  sociable  little  creatures,  and, 
when  one  is  seen,  others  are  tolerably  sure  to  be  close  at  hand. 
Some  of  them  frequent  wet  and  marshy  places,  and  may  gene- 
rally be  found  at  the  roots  of  willows  that  are  planted  at .  the 
water-side. 

One  example  of  this  interesting  genus  is  Anchomenus  dor- 
salis, 'which  is  shown,  rather  magnified,  on  Woodcut  IV.  Fig.  1. 
The  real  length  of  the  insect  can  be  known  by  reference  to  the 
line  that  is  drawn  on  its  right  side.  In  this  species  the  head 
and  thorax  are  dark-green,  and  the  flattened  elytra  are  pale 
rust-red,  diversified  with  a  large  spot  of  blue-black  towards 
the  apex,  but  not  quite  reaching  the  tip.  They  are  striated, 
■  and  the  interstices  between  the  striae  are  flat  and  smooth, 
without  any  punctures.     Beneath,  it  is  shining  black. 


44 


INSECTS  AT  HOME. 


This  is  a  very  common  Beetle,  and  is  rather  interesting  to 
entomologists,  because,  like  the  Brachinus,  it  has  the  power  of 
defending  itself  by  means  of  mimic  artillery,  and  can  produce  a 
number  of  the  explosions  in  succession.  There  are  more  than 
twenty  British  species  of  this  genus. 


1.  Anchomenus  dorsalis.  2.  Pterostlchus  madidus.  3.  Amara  obsoleta.  4.  Havpalus 
rencu^.  0.  Stenolophiis  Skrimshiranus.  a.  Pterostichus,  right  mandible.  h.  Pterosti- 
chus,  maxillary  palpus.  c.  Harpalus,  under  side  of  leg.  d.  Harpalus,  right  mandible. 

e.  Harpalus,  maxillary  palpus. 


The  family  of  the  Feroniidae,  which  comes  next  in  order, 
comprises  a  number  of  Beetles,  none  of  which  are  remarkable 
for  beauty,  though  there  are  several  whose  habits  are  very 
curious  and  interesting.  They  may  be  known  by  the  sinuated, 
or  wavy,  form  of  the  elytra  at  the  apex,  and  by  the  basal  joints 
of  the  front  tarsi  of  the  males.  These  joints  are  not  squared, 
like  those  of  the  Chlgeniidae,  but  are  somewhat  heart-shaped, 
and  furnished  with  two  rows  of  bristles  beneath. 


THE   'DEVOUREE.'  45 

Oiir  first  example  of  this  family  is  the  Beetle  which  is  known 
to  entomologists  by  the  name  of  Pterostichus  madidus,  a 
figure  of  which  is  given  on  Woodcut  No.  IV.  Fig.  2.  The  strong 
and  peculiarly-formed  mandible  of  this  genus  is  shown  at  Fig.  a, 
and  its  maxillary  palpus  at  Fig.  6.  The  colour  of  the  insect  is 
shining  black,  with  a  slight  brassy  gloss.  The  smooth  head 
has  two  impressions  in  front ;  the  thorax  is  convex  and  narrow 
behind,  with  a  bold  central  furrow  and  a  deep  wrinkled  pit  at 
each  angle.  A  lens  is  required  to  make  out  these  details. 
The  elytra  are  covered  with  regular  striae,  a  circumstance  which 
has  gained  for  these  insects  the  generic  title  of  Pterostichus,  or 
'streaked- wing.'  There  are  a  few  small  punctures  on  each  elytron, 
and  a  row  of  bold  punctures  runs  along  each  margin.  The 
wings  are  not  developed. 

This  is  a  very  common  insect,  and  can  be  taken  in  any 
number,  as  it  runs  boldly  about.  Anglers  often  use  it  success- 
fully as  bait.  Although  devoid  of  wings,  it  is  very  quick  on  its 
legs,  darting  about  with  such  velocity  that  the  generic  name  of 
Steropus,  or  '  lightning,'  was  once  applied  to  it  and  another 
allied  Beetle. 

Twenty-two  British  species  of  this  genus  are  now  acknow- 
ledged, but  in  it  are  merged  several  genera  of  the  older 
entomologists. 

We  now  come  to  one  of  the  largest  and  most  interesting 
insect  of  this  family,  though  assuredly  it  is  not  a  beautiful  one. 
This  is  Broscus  cephalotes,  a  Beetle  which  is  shown  on  Plate  I. 
Fig.  4. 

This  insect  has  been  called  the  giant  of  its  family,  a  name 
which  it  well  deserves,  as  it  rivals  the  Carabi  themselves  in 
size,  sometimes  reaching  nearly  an  inch  in  length.  Being  a 
predacious  Beetle,  it  is  gifted  with  very  powerful  jaws,  which 
are  attached  to  a  head  of  more  than  ordinary  size.  The 
specific  name  cephalotes  signifies  large-headed,  and  is  appro- 
priately given  to  this  Beetle.  The  generic  name  Broscus 
signifies  a  devourer,  and  is  equally  appropriate. 

This  insect  can  at  once  be  known  by  the  very  large  head, 
and  the  shape  of  the  thorax,  which  is  much  narrowed  towards 
its  base.  A  deep  furrow  runs  along  its  centre,  and  its  base  has 
a   deep   pit  on  either  side.     The  elytra  are  rounded  at  the 


46  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

shoulder,  and  striated ;   some  small  pmictures  being  scantily 
visible  on  the  strise.     The  colour  of  the  insect  is  black. 

In  this  Beetle  we  see  one  of  the  fiercest  and  most  voracious 
of  the  whole  insect  race.  It  lives  on  the  sea-shore,  generally 
hiding  itself  beneath  decaying  sea-weed  or  stones,  and  making 
burrows  under  such  points  of  vantage.  From  this  biuTOW  it 
issues  in  search  of  prey,  and  successfully  pursues  all  kinds  of 
insects,  its  own  kind  included.  So  voracious  is  it,  and  so  many 
insects  does  it  kill,  that  if  it  reside  for  a  day  or  two  in  one 
burrow,  it  can  be  detected  by  the  rejected  elytra,  limbs,  and 
other  parts  of  insects  which  it  has  caught  and  eaten.  It  is  the 
only  British  example  of  its  genus. 

The  large  genus  Amara  now  comes  before  us,  and  out  of  the 
twenty-four  species  which  are  included  in  it  I  have  selected 
Amara  obsoleta  as  our  example.  This  insect  is  di'awn  on 
"Woodcut  IV.  Fig.  3.  All  the  insects  belonging  to  this  genus  are 
small,  and  most  of  them  are  brightly  coloured.  They  all  take 
rank  as  Sun  Beetles  or  Sun  Shiners ;  and,  fortunately  for  them, 
there  is  a  wide-spread  superstition  that  it  is  unlucky  to  kill  a 
Sun  Beetle,  and  that  its  death  will  cause  terrible  storms. 

The  members  of  this  genus  are  rather  wide  in  proportion  to 
their  length,  and  have  the  thorax  wide  behind,  as  wide,  in  fact, 
as  the  elytra.  They  have  large  wings,  which  they  can  use  with 
great  effect ;  and  the  males  have  three  dilated  joints  on  the 
front  tarsi.  These  Beetles  are  very  plentiful,  and  may  be  seen 
either  flying  through  the  air  on  their  ample  wings,  rvmning 
about  in  the  full  blaze  of  the  sunshine,  or  temporarily  hiding 
under  sticks  and  stones. 

Although  it  is  no  very  difficult  matter  to  know  an  Amara 
when  it  is  seen,  I  must  warn  the  reader  that  to  distinguish  the 
different  species  is  a  task  which  requires  the  minutest  attention 
to  the  smallest  details,  and  had  better  be  deferred  until  the  eye 
has  been  trained  to  seize  at  once  on  those  small  but  important 
characteristics,  which  at  once  strike  the  eye  of  a  practised 
entomologist,  and  invariably  elude  the  scrutiny  of  a  novice. 
The  eye  can  only  see  that  which  it  has  the  power  of  seeing ;  and 
it  is  worthy  of  remark  that  twenty  or  thirty  young  observers 
will  miss  exactly  the  most  important  detail  in  an  insect  structure 
until  it  is  pointed  out  by  an  experienced  entomologist,  wh'en 


COLOURS  OF  BEETLES. 


47 


they  will  at  once  see  it,  and  wonder  how  anything  so  obvious 
could  have  eluded  them. 

In  any  large  genus  of  insects  there  is  always  a  difficulty  in 
deciding  upon  the  different  species ;  and,  even  among  the 
moths,  where  size  and  colour  are  tolerably  constant,  mistakes 
are  continually  made.     But,  among  Beetles,  these  important 


1.  ^pys  mariniis.  2.  Philocthus  biguttatus.  3.  Notaphus  [Bembidinm]  fumigatus. 
•i.  Bcnibidium  quadriguttatum.  5.  Bembidinm  pallidipenne.  a.  ^pys,  maxillary  palpus. 
b.  ^pys,  labial  palpi.        c.  .3;pys,  labrum.    d.  ^pys,  right  mandible.        e.   ^pys,  antenna. 


elements  of  size  and  colour  go  for  almost  nothing,  and  when- 
ever green  and  blue  are  in  question,  coloiur  absolutely  does  go 
for  nothing.  Now,  in  the  members  of  the  genus  Amara,  blue 
and  green  are  the  leading  hues ;  and  five  individuals,  which 
undoubtedly  belong  to  the  same  species,  may  be  respectively 
bluish-green,  greenish-blue,  brassy,  coppery,  or  even  black. 
Then  the  head  and  thorax  may  be  of  one  coloui-,  and  the  elytra 


48  INSECTS  AT  HOME.  • 

of  another ;    so  that  no  dependence,  can  be  placed  upon   so 
uncertain  a  characteristic.  , 

The  present  species  is  a  very  common  one.  Its  colour  varies 
from  green  to  black,  glossed  with  brass.  The  elytra  are 
striated,  and  the  strise  are  bolder  and  deeper  towards  the  apex 
than  at  the  b3se.  The  head  is  nearly  smooth,  but  has  a  few 
stria3  drawn  across  it  in  front. 

We  next  come  to  the  large  family  of  the  Harpalidse,  of 
which  we  shall  take  one  or  two  examples,  illustrating  the 
principal  genera.  The  males  of  the  Harpalidae  have  the  four 
basal  joints  of  the  front  tarsi  dilated,  and  sometimes  the 
corresponding  joints  of  the  middle  pair  of  legs.  These  dilated 
joints  are  covered  with  stiff  bristles.  The  appearance  of  one  of 
these  tarsi  can  be  seen  by  referring  to  Woodcut  No.  IV.  Fig.  c, 
which  represents  the  under  side  of  a  male  Harpalus's  leg.  The 
mentum  is  deeply  notched,  and  has  a  small  lobe  in  the  centre. 

Unlike  the  preceding  family,  which  are  for  the  most  part 
lovers  of  light  and  fond  of  darting  about  in  the  full  radiance  of 
the  sunbeams,  the  Harpalidse  withdraw  themselves  from  the 
light,  and  hide  themselves  during  the  daytime  in  any  crevice 
that  may  present  itself.  Should,  for  example,  the  season  be  a 
dry  one,  the  cracks  in  the  earth  are  sure  to  be  tenanted  by 
Harpalidse;  and  when  the  spade  is  employed,  many  of  the 
Beetles  are  turned  up  together  with  the  soil  in  which  they 
have  sought  a  refuge,  and  sought  it  in  vain. 

On  Woodcut  No.  TV.  Fig.  4,  is  shown  an  example  of  the  typical 
genus,  Haiyaliis  census.  In  this  genus  three  joints  of  the 
tarsi  of  both  the  front  and  middle  pairs  of  legs  are  dilated  in 
the  males. 

The  pretty  species  which  has  been  chosen  as  our  example  is 
polished  on  its  upper  surface  like  a  mirror,  the  colour  being 
exceedingly  variable.  Some  specimens  are  brassy,  others 
coppery,  others  green  of  various  shades,  and  others  again  blue 
of  various  shades,  deepening  into  violet  so  dark  that  it  appears 
to  be  black.  There  are  some  faint  strise  on  the  elytra,  and  in 
the  flat  interstices  between  the  strise  are  punctures,  very  few 
towards  the  suture,  and  plentiful  towards  the  margin.  Beneath 
it  is  pitchy-black.  In  this  insect,  as  indeed  in  most  of  the 
members  of  this  genus,  the  females  are  much  duller  than  their 


>  A  SINGULAR   DWELLING.  49 

mates,  this  effect  being  produced  by  a  very  fine  granulation  of 
the  elytra.  There  are  more  than  thirty  known  British  species 
of  this  genus. 

The  mandible  of  a  Harpalus,  with  its  bold  scoop  towards  the 
point,  is  shown  at  Fig.  d  of  the  same  illustration,  and  the 
maxillary  palpi  at  e.  The  species  from  which  these  specimens 
were  taken  is  Harpalus  ruficornis. 

Proceeding  with  our  list,  we  take  an  example  of  another 
genus,  a  Beetle  having  the  somewhat  strange  title  of  Steno- 
lophus  Shrimshiranus.  The  principal  mark  to  distinguish  this 
genus  from  the  preceding  is  that  the  notch  of  the  mentum  is 
without  the  lobe,  which  is  to  be  seen  in  that  of  Harpalus. 
The  species  of  this  genus  mostly  inhabit  wet  and  marshy  places, 
such  as  under  stones  on  the  banks  of  ponds,  ditches,  and 
sluggish  streams.  The  colour  of  this  Beetle  is  dull  reddish- 
brown,  darkening  into  blackish-brown  towards  the  apex  of  the 
elytra,  which  are  regularly  striated.  There  is  a  slight  groove 
along  the  centre  of  the  pale  brick-red  thorax,  which  has  also  a  pit 
on  either  side  of  the  base.  The  head  and  the  under  surface 
of  the  body  are  pitchy-black.  This  species  is  mostly  found 
in  Norfolkshire,  and  derives  its  specific  name  from  the  ento- 
mologist who  sent  a  specimen  of  it  to  its  describer,  Mr.  J.  F. 
Stevens.  ■ 

On  Woodcut  No.  V.  Fig.l,  is  given  a  much  enlarged  figure  of 
a  very  small  Beetle  called  ^pys  onaHnus,  an  insect  which  is 
on  an  average  less  than  the  twelfth  of  an  inch  in  length.  In  this 
genus  only  the  two  basal  joints  of  the  front  tarsi  are  dilated  in 
the  male  insect,  and  they  are  rather  triangular  in  shape.  The 
fourth  joint  of  the  same  tarsus  is  armed  with  a  strong  spine. 
The  parts  of  the  mouth  and  head  are  very  remarkable,  and  are 
therefore  drawn  in  the  same  illustration.  Fig.  a  represents  the 
maxillary  palpi,  and  b  the  labial  palpi ;  c  is  the  labium,  d  the 
right  mandible,  showing  its  curious  notches  or  dentations,  and 
e  the  antenna. 

This  insect  is  the  least  of  the  Harpalidas,  and,  partly  from  its 
small  dimensions,  and  partly  from  its  habits,  is  not  often  seen, 
except  by  those  who  intentionally  look  for  it.  It  is  one  of  the 
maritime  Beetles,  but  carries  its  love  for  salt  water  farther 
than  almost  any  other  insect,  inasmuch  as  its  favourite  haunt  is 


50  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

under  stones  in  the  mouths  of  tidal  rivers,  absolutely  beneath 
high-water  mark.  There  are  many  insects  which  choose  theii 
residence  just  above  the  tide-mark,  but  that  any  should  prefer 
to  live  below  it,  and  be  submerged  by  the  salt  water,  is  indeed 
singular.  •  Salt  marshes  are  also  favourite  resorts  for  this 
Beetle,  which  has  been  taken  in  various  parts  of  England. 
There  is  only  one  other  species  of  this  cui-ious  genus. 

The  colour  of  the  Beetle  is  yellowish,  darker  above  than 
below.  The  head  has  a  curved  impression  on  either  side  ;  the 
thorax  has  a  short  furrow  on  its  centre,  and  a  very  shallow  pit 
on  either  side  near  the  basal  angles.  The  elytra  are  very 
slightly  punctated,  and  there  are  no  wings. 

We  now  come  to  the  last  family  of  the  Greodephaga,  namely, 
the  Bembidiidae.  In  all  these  Beetles  the  palpi  are  formed 
differently  from  those  of  the  preceding  families.  If  the  parts 
of  the  mouth  be  carefully  observed,  the  last  joint  but  one  both 
of  the  maxillary  and  labial  palpi  will  be  seen  to  be  very  large, 
while  the  last  joint  is  very  short  and  very  small,  so  small  indeed 
that  at  first  sight  it  looks  more  like  a  spur  than  a  separate  joint. 
All  these  insects  are  lovers  of  salt  and  wet  places,  and  are  found 
on  salt  marshes  near  the  mouths  of  tidal  rivers,  such,  for  example, 
as  those  which  cover  the  district  between  Eochester  and  Sheer- 
ness,  and  upon  the  sea-shore  itself. 

Small  as  they  mostly  are,  one  species,  Bemhidium  bistriatum, 
being  the  smallest  of  the  British  Geodephaga,  they  are  ex- 
ceedingly voracious,  and  can  kill  creatures  much  larger  than 
themselves.  There  is,  for  example,  Gillenium  laterals,  a  little 
copper-colom-ed  Beetle,  which  never  exceeds  one-sixth  of  an 
inch  in  length  and  is  generally  much  less,  which,  in  spite  of 
its  small  size,  feeds  on  the  common  sandhopper,  seizing-  the 
active  crustacean  under  the  body,  and  so  destroying  it.  Like 
the  -^pys,  which  has  already  been  described,  this  insect  passes 
much  of  its  time  submerged  under  salt  water. 

In  reference  to  the  water-loving  habits  of  these  Beetles,  Mr. 
Westwood  gives  a  very  useful  hint  to  entomologists  who  wish 
to  procure  these  tiny  creatures: — '  These  insects  are  generally 
found  upon  the  margins  of  streams,  running  about  with  great 
velocity,  and  burying  themselves  in  crevices  in  the  ground  or 
under  stones,  &c. ;  hence,  at  the  time  of  high  floods  in  winter, 


THE  BEIVTBIDIA.  *  51 

the  floating,  refuse  is  crowded  with  them,  at  which  time  the 
collector  will  not  fail  to  obtain  a  rich  harvest.' 

Our  first  example  of  this  interesting-  family  of  Beetles  is 
taken  from  the  typical  genus,  and  is  called  Bembidium  higut- 
tatum.  This  Beetle  is  by  some  entomologists  placed  in  the 
genus  Philocthus ;  but  Mr.  Waterhouse,  whose  system  is  followed 
in  this  work,  has  united  several  genera  under  the  one  head  of 
Bembidium,  in  which  he  includes  no  less  than  forty-six  species. 

The  insect  is  drawn  on  Woodcut  No.  V.  Fig.  2.  Its  colour  is 
brassy  or  bronze-green,  and  its  surface  is  polished  and  shining. 
The  head  has  a  shallow  impression  on  each  side.  The  thorax 
has  a  slight  fm'row  along  the  centre,  and  a  depression  near  each 
basal  angle.  The  elytra  are  striated  and  punctured  nearly  as 
far  as  the  apex,  and  between  the  second  and  third  striae  there 
are  two  bold  impressions,  from  which  the  insect  derives  its 
specific  name  of  biguttatum,  or  '  two-channelled.'  There  is  a 
reddish-brown  spot  at  the  apex.  The  under  surface  of  the  body 
is  black,  glossed  with  brassy  or  bronze  reflections. 

On  the  same  woodcut.  Fig.  3,  is  a  very  pretty,  though  very 
tiny.  Beetle  called  Bembidium  {Notajpkus)  furtiigatiim. 

This  little  insect  has  the  head  of  a  deep  green  colour,  the 
thorax  being  very  black,  with  brassy  reflections.  It  has  a 
short  central  furrow,  and  a  deep  pit  on  either  side  near  the 
basal  angles.  The  colour  of  the  elytra  is  exceedingly  variable 
in  different  individuals.  The  ground  here,  however,  is  pale- 
brown  or  smoke-coloured,  from  which  circumstance  the  insect 
derives  its  name  of  fumigatum,  or  '  smoky.'  Two  irregular 
black  bauds  cross  the  elytra,  and  some  black  spots  are  scattered 
about  them.  A  bluish  line  runs  along  the  sutm-e,  and  the  striae 
are  brown. 

Next  comes  an  insect  called  Bembidium  (Lopha)  quadii/- 
guttatum,  which  is  shown  on  Woodcut  No.  V.  Fig.  4. 

This  very  conspicuous  little  Beetle  is  tolerably  common,  and 
may  be  found  in  most  damp  places,  whether  the  water  be  fresh 
or  salt.  The  smooth  head  has  a  deep  but  short  furrow  on  each 
side.  The  thorax  is  remarkably  convex  in  front,  and  its  colour 
is  shining  blue-green,  or  greenish-blue,  as  the  case  may  be. 

E  2 


52  •  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

The  elytra  are  rather  convex,  and  their  colour  is  something 
Hke  that  of  the  thorax,  but  deepening  into  violet,  which  is  some- 
times so  dark  that  it  appears  to  be  black.  On  the  shoulder 
of  each  elytron  is  a  patch  of  cream-white,  and  there  is  another 
near  the  middle,  the  insect  deriving  from  these  white  marks 
the  specific  title  of  quadriguUatutn,  or  '  four-spotted.'  The 
spot  on  the  shoulder  is  usually  rather  triangular,  and  that 
on  the  middle  of  the  elytron  nearly  round. 

Our  last  example  of  the  Greodephaga  is  the  pretty  little 
insect  called  Bembidium  pallidipenne,  which  is  shown  on 
Woodcut  V.  Fig.  5.  The  head  and  thorax  of  this  species  are 
shining  metallic  green.  The  elytra  are  pale  yellow,  or  straw 
coloiu:,  giving  to  the  insect  its  specific  name  oi  pallidipenne,  or 
'  pale  wing.'  Across  the  eljrtra  rims  a  zigzagged  dark  band, 
varying  much  in  different  individuals  both  in  depth  of  colour, 
in  breadth,  and  in  shape.  This  species  occurs  chiefly  on  the 
coasts  of  Lancashire,  though  it  is  found  in  other  localities. 
.  The  reader  will  probably  understand  that  when  a  name  is 
inserted  between  brackets,  it  is  one  by  which  the  insect  is  known 
in  other  systems. 


CHAPTER   IV. 
EYDRADEPHAGA. 

We  have  now  completed  our  notices  of  the  Geodephaga,  the 
analogues  of  the  land  Carnivora  among  the  higher  animals, 
and  Ave  now  come  to  the  Hydradephaga,  or  carnivorous  Beetles 
of  the  water — the  whales,  porpoises,  and  seals  of  the  insect 
world. 

We  know  that  all  animals  are  specially  adapted  to  the  life 
which  they  have  to  lead,  and  therefore  may  naturally  expect 
that  Beetles  which  live  in  the  water  will  be  formed  very  dif- 
ferently from  those  which  reside  on  the  land,  even  though  that 
land  be  constantly  wet.  Shape,  for  example,  is  likely  to  be 
altered.  We  know  that  the  whales,  dolphins,  and  seals,  who 
have  to  pass  either  the  whole  or  the  greater  part  of  their  lives 
in  the  water,  and  to  catch  in  it  the  living  prey  on  which  they 
feed,  become  assimilated  in  shape  to  the  fishes  ;  and  it  is  likely 
that  insects  will  obey  the  same  laws  as  mammals.  This  is 
really  the  case,  the  shape  of  all  the  Hydradephaga  being  very 
fish-like,  in  order  to  enable  them  to  pass  more  easily  through 
the  water.  As  there  is  much  more  friction  in  passing  through 
the  water  than  through  the  air,  the  Water  Beetles,  as  the  Hy- 
dradephaga are  familiarly  called,  have  the  various  portions 
of  the  body  fitting  closely  to  each  other,  so  as  to  leave  an 
uniform  smooth  and  polished  sm-face,  something  like  that  of 
the  scaly  surface  of  the  fish,  the  slippery  skin  of  the  whales  and 
dolphins,  and  the  close-set  fur  of  the  seals. 

The  limbs  are  also  modified  to  suit  the  special  purpose  for 
which  they  are  designed.  As  these  Beetles  walk  less  than  they 
swim,  greater  provision  has  to  be  made  for  the  latter  mode  of 
progression.  Accordingly,  the  first  and  middle  pairs  of  legs  are 
comparatively  small  and  feeble,  the  strength  being  thrown 
into  the  hinder  pair,  which  are  large  in  comparison  with  the 


54  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

others,  and,  in  nearly  all  cases,  jQattened  and  furnished  with  a 
fringe  of  stiff  bristles  on  the  inner  side,  so  that  they  serve  as 
oars.  They  are  jointed  in  a  peculiar  manner  to  the  body,  so 
that  there  is  room  within  the  thorax  for  a  set  of  very  powerful 
muscles  which  work  them,  and  they  are  placed  farther  back  than 
is  usual  among  Beetles — a  peculiarity  of  structure  which  is 
found  also  in  the  seals  and  the  diving  birds,  especially  the 
penguin  tribe. 

Although  they  cannot,  as  a  rule,  walk  well,  they  can  all  fly 
well,  and  are  furnished  with  very  large  and  powerful  wings,  so  • 
that,  if  food  should  fail  them  in  one  piece  of  water,  they  can 
fly  to  another.  They  generally  fly  at  night,  and  have  an  odd 
way,  when  they  reach  a  pond  or  stream,  of  closing  their  wings 
while  high  in  the  air,  and  allowing  themselves  to  fall  like 
stones  into  the  water.  Sometimes,  deceived  by  the  glitter  in 
the  moonshine,  they  have  been  known  to  fall  upon  the  roofs  of 
greenhouses. 

Not  only  the  Beetles,  but  their  larvae  inhabit  the  water,  and 
they  are  equally  predacious  in  both  stages  of  existence,  the 
larva  being  armed  with  a  pair  of  enormous  sickle-shaped  jaws. 
They  are  all  long  and  narrow,  and  have  six  minute  eyes,  or 
ocelli,  at  each  side  of  the  head.  We  will  now  proceed  to  our 
examples  of  these  insects. 

The  Hydradephaga  are  divided  into  two  families,  the  Dyticidse 
and  the  Gryrinidae.  There  is  not  the  least  difficulty  in  de- 
ciding the  family  to  which  any  Water  Beetle  belongs,  as  a 
glance  at  the  antennas  is  sufficient  for  the  purpose.  The  antennae 
of  the  Dyticidae  are  long  and  slender,  and  those  of  the  Gryi-inidse 
are  stout,  short,  and  club-like.  Moreover,  the  first  pair  of  legs 
are  short  in  the  Dyticidse  and  long  in  the  Gryrinidae.  We 
begin  with  the  first  family,  and  take  an  example  of  the  typical 
genus. 

On  Plate  III.  Figs.  1  and  2,  are  seen  drawings  of  the  Gtreat 
Water  Beetle  {Byticus  Tnarginalis).  The  first  represents  the 
male  Beetle  in  the  act  of  swimming,  and  the  second  the  female, 
as  she  appears  when  flying  through  the  air.  The  sexes  of  this 
and  other  species  are  so  distinct  that  in  the  earlier  days  of  en- 
tomology they  were  looked  upon  as  different  species.  As  the 
habits  of  this  Beetle  are  almost  identical  with  those  of  all  its 


PLATE    III. 
WATER     BEETLES. 


1.  Dj'ticus  marginalis  (Male). 

2.  Dyticus  marginalis  (Female). 

3.  Gyrinus  natator  (aiid  under). 

4.  Dyticus  marginalis,  larva. 
6.  Gyrinus  natator,  larva. 

6.  Gyrinus  natator,  Pupa  case  (on  Arrow-bead). 

Plants  : — 

Arrow-head  {Sagittaria  sagittifolia).     Left  Upper  Corner. 
Creeping  Mouse-ear  (Myosofis  repens).     Eight  Upper  Corner. 
Bristle-stalk  Club-rush  (Scirpus  setaceus) .     Under  Myosotis. 
Water  Feather-foil  {Hottonia  palustris).     Under  Arrow-head. 


WEAPON   OF  THE  DYTICUS. 


55 


family,  it  will  be   described  at  greater  length  than  can  be  af- 
forded to  the  generality  of  insects. 

Several  details  which  mark  the  Beetles  of  this  genus  are 
given  on  Woodcut  No.  6.  At  Fig.  a  is  a  magnified  representa- 
tion of  a  most  curious  development  of  structure.  If  one  of 
these  Beetles  be  examined  on  the  under  side,  the  metasternum 


1.    Agabiia  biguttatns.       2.    Hydrophilus  duodecim-pustulatus.        3.    Haliplus  vai-iegalus. 
4.  Cnemidotus  ca^s'us.        5.  Pelobius  Hermanni.  a.  Dyticus,  process  of  metasternum.        6, 

Dyticus,    maxillary    palpus.  c.  Dyticus,  anterior  leg  of  male.        d,   Dyticus,  labial  palpi. 

e.  Gyrinus,  posterior  leg.       /.  Gyrinus,  antenna. 


will  be  seen  to  have  a  forked  and  rather  sharp  projection  from 
its  centre,  the  points  being  directed  to  the  end  of  the  abdomen. 
What  may  be  the  object  of  this  curious  appendage  is  not  easy 
to  say ;  certain,  however,  it  is,  that  it  can  be  used  as  a 
weapon  on  some  occasions. 

When,  for    example,  an    unpractised   entomologist    catches 
one  of  these  Beetles  in  his  hand,  and  has  taken  care  to  keep  his 


5Q  INSECTS  AT  HOTIE. 

fingers  out  of  the  way  of  its  jaws,  he  finds  himself  suddenly 
and  smartly  wounded,  as  the  Beetle  struggles  to  regain  its 
liberty.  The  fact  is,  the  insect,  led  by  some  strange  and  un- 
accountable instinct,  always  retrogrades  when  seized  in  the 
hand,  and  so  inflicts  a  rather  unpleasant  wound  with  the  ends 
of  this  appendage.  Whether  or  not  it  knows  of  the  presence 
of  the  weapon,  and  the  use  to  which  it  is  put,  is  of  course  im- 
possible to  say ;  but  that  the  insect  can  use  its  forked  dagger  as 
well  as  if  it  were  thoroughly  acquainted  with  it,  any  of  my 
readers  can  easily  test  for  himself  by  going  to  the  nearest  pond 
and  catching  a  Dyticus.  Other  Water  Beetles  possess  the 
forked  appendage  ;  but  it  takes  different  shapes  in  different 
species,  and  is  exceedingly  useful  to  entomologists,  by  enabling 
them  to  decide  upon  the  species  when  other  marks  fail  them. 

This  is,  by  the  way,  not  the  only  weapon  which  the  Dyticidse 
possess.  Like  the  Carabidse,  and  some  other  Geodephaga, 
they  exude  a  fluid  of  a  singularly  unpleasant  smell  when  they 
are  captured  ;  but  the  liquid  in  question  is  white,  and  not  black 
like  that  of  the  Carabidse.  At  Fig.  b  is  shown  the  maxilla  and 
palpi  of  the  Dyticus,  and  d  are  the  labial  palpi. 

As  the  two  sexes  are  so  dissimilar  in  appearance,  it  will  be 
necessary  to  describe  them  separately.  The  colour  of  the  male 
Beetle  is  dim  black,  with  the  margins  of  the  elytra  marked  with 
a  yellowish  streak,  narrow  towards  the  apex,  and  widening 
considerably  towards  and  on  the  shoulders.  It  is  in  consequence 
of  this  streak  that  the  Beetle  has  received  the  specific  name  of 
r)iarginalis.  The  elytra  are  very  smooth,  with  the  exception 
of  three  rows  of  punctures  on  the  disc.  There  is  a  reddish- 
yellow  triangular  mark  on  the  forehead,  and  a  very  slight  ridge 
on  the  crown.  The  thorax  is  blacker  than  the  elytra,  and,  like 
them,  has  the  margin  yellow. 

The  legs  of  this  Beetle  are  excellent  examples  of  these  limbs 
as  they  are  modified  in  the  Hydradephaga.  Both  the  middle 
and  hind  pairs  of  legs  are  flattened,  oar-like,  and  furnished 
with  the  bristle  blade,  and  the  coxa  is  so  made  that  it  only 
allows  one  kind  of  movement  to  the  limb.  In  consequence  of 
this  pecviliarity  the  Dyticus  cannot  walk  properly,  but  only 
scrambles  about ;  and  if  it  should  by  chance  fall  on  its  back  on 
a  smooth  surface,  it  spins  round  and  round  in  a  most  ludicrous 
fashion. 


FEET   OF  THE  DYTICUS.  57 

The  first  pair  of  legs,  however,  are  the  most  interesting. 
We  have  already  seen  that,  in  very  many  Beetles,  the  tarsi  of 
the  front  pair  of  legs  are  dilated  in  the  male,  but  there  are 
none  which  even  approach  those  of  the  Dyticus  in  complexity 
of  structure.  The  geodephagous  males  have  the  under  surface 
of  these  dilated  joints  merely  furnished  with  a  pad,  but  the 
Dyticus  has  a  most  wonderful  array  of  suckers,  exactly  analo- 
gous in  principle  to  those  which  stud  the  arms  of  the  cuttle- 
fish. One  of  these  legs  is  shown  on  Woodcut  No.  VI.  Fig.  c. 
The  three  basal  joints  of  the  tarsus  are  enormously  swollen,  so 
that  they  assume  a  plate-like  shape.  Their  upper  siu-fiice  is 
smooth  enough,  but  the  under  surface  is  covered  with  suckers, 
one  of  them  very  large,  and  the  second  about  half  its  size,  and 
a  multitude  of  smaller  suckers.  The  larger  suckers  are  placed 
directly  upon  the  joint,  and  the  others  are  at  the  end  of 
slender  footstalks,  looking  something  like .  the  '  patera '  cham- 
pagne glasses  with  the  stems  much  attenuated. 

In  order  to  see  this  beautiful  structure  properly,  several 
specimens  ought  to  be  used.  One  can  be  simpFy  cleaned,  and 
viewed  as  an  opaque  object,  while  another  is  cut  so  as  to  give 
a  section  of  the  joints,  and  to  show  the  manner  in  which  the 
suckers  spring  from  them.  Three  more  specimens  should  also 
be  prepared,  but  mounted  as  transparent  objects  in  Canada 
balsam.  This  will  be  found  rather  a  difficvilt  process,  but  one 
which  will  very  well  repay  all  the  trouble.  The  difficulty  is 
to  get  rid  of  the  air  which  remains  in  the  suckers,  and  which 
makes  the  mouth  of  each  sucker  look  like  a  black  shining  ball. 
A  structure,  similar  in  principle,  though  varying  in  detail,  is 
found  throughout  this  group  of  Beetles. 

The  female  is,  as  has  been  stated,  very  different  from  the 
male  in  appearance.  She  does  not  possess  the  wide  tarsi  which 
are  so  conspicuous  in  her  mate.  The  elytra  are  very  different 
from  those  of  the  male,  and,  instead  of  being  smooth  and 
polished,  are  deeply  grooved  nearly  as  far  as  the  middle. 

The  voracity  of  this  Beetle  is  really  astonishing.  It  will  eat 
almost  any  kind  of  insect,  or  any  kind  of  meat,  raw  or  cooked, 
preferring  the  former.  Sometimes  it  is  placed  in  fresh-water 
aquaria  by  those  who  are  not  acquainted  with  its  powers, 
and  the  result  is  always  disastrous.  Not  only  will  it  attack 
every  living  creatute  in  the  aquarium,  but  during  the  night  it 


58  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

is  sure  to  take  to  its  wings  and  fly  off  in  search  of  more  food. 
Even  gold  fish  have  been  attacked  by  this  insatiate  devourer, 
which  does  not  even  spare  its  own  kind,  and  devours  the  oppo- 
site sex  as  well  as  its  own.  When  these  Beetles  take  flight 
from  the  pond  or  stream  in  which  they  have  been  living,  they 
always  crawl  up  a  reed 'or  a  water-plant,  so  as  to  gain  space  to 
spread  their  beautiful  wings.  In  consequence  of  this  freedom 
of  locomotion,  this  Beetle  may  be  found  in  almost  any  pond, 
however  small  it  may  be.  Even  when  ponds  have  been  reduced 
to  mere  puddles  by  the  drought  of  summer,  the  Dyticus  may 
be  found  plentifully,  hiding  itself  in  the  still  soft  mud. 

The  mode  in  which  this  insect  breathes  is  really  wonderful. 
Being  an  insect,  it  is  forced  to  breathe  atmospheric  air,  and 
yet  it  has  to  pass  the  greater  part  of  its  time  under  water. 
The  problem  is  solved  by  the  Beetle  converting  itself  for  the 
nonce  into  a  diving  bell,  receiving  the  supply  of  air  as  often  as 
needful.  This  feat  is  accomplished  in  the  following  way : — The 
body  is  rather  flat,  so  that  there  is  a  space  between  the  folded 
wings  and  the"  elytra.  Now,  these  elytra  are  very  large,  and, 
when  closed,  are  quite  air-tight.  When  the  Beetle  wishes  to 
breathe,  it  comes  to  the  surface  of  the  water  with  its  head 
downwards,  and  just  exposes  the  tip  of  its  abdomen  to  the  air. 
In  a  moment  it  has  expelled  the  air  which  has  already  been 
used  in  breathing,  and  taken  in  a  fresh  supply,  with  which  it 
dives  to  the  bottom.  As  the  spiracles,  or  mouths  of  the  breath- 
ing tubes,  open  into  the  space  between  the  elytra  and  the 
abdomen,  they  can  take  in  the  air,  and  pass  it  through  the 
system.  Sometimes,  if  the  observer  will  approach  very  quietly, 
he  may  see  the  Beetles  floating  with  tlieir  heads  downwards, 
the  tips  of  their  tails  just  above  the  surface  of  the  water,  and 
their  hind  legs  spread  out  so  as  to  balance  the  body  in  this 
strange  position.  All  the  Dyticidae  employ  this  curious  mode 
of  supplying  themselves  with  air,  but  it  is  most  conspicuous  in 
the  larger  species,  and  is  therefore  described  in  connection 
with  this  Beetle. 

There  is  a  rather  remarkable  point  in  the  structure  of  the 
wings.  On  the  inside  of  the  elytra,  and  at  their  bases,  is  a 
pair  of  membranous  plates  with  finely-fringed  edges,  something 
like  wings,  for  which  reason  they  have  been  called  '  alulets,'  or 
little  wings.     These  cannot  be  seen  while  the  insect  is  at  rest. 


LAKVA   OF   THE  DYTICUS.  59 

but  when  it  takes  to  flight,  the  alulets  are  exposed.  These 
Beetles  hiive  the  power  of  producing  a  sort  of  humming  sound, 
some  species  louder  than  others,  and  it  is  generally  thought 
that  the  sound  is  produced  by  means  of  the  alulets. 

Having  now  glanced  at  the  history  of  the  perfect  Beetle, 
we  will  turn  to  its  larval  existence. 

There  is  no  possibility  of  evading  the  fact,  that  the  larva  of 
the  Dyticus  is  ugly.  It  is  very  ugly.  It  is  the  crocodile  of 
the  insect  world,  lying  unseen  in  its  muddy  bed,  and  darting 
out  at  any  luckless  insect  that  may  pass  near  it.  One  of  these 
larvse  is  shown  on  Plate  III.  Fig.  4,  as  it  appears  when  seizing 
its  prey. 

When  full  grown,  this  larva  is  two  inches  in  length.  Its 
colour  is  yellowish-brown,  sometimes  one  tint  predominating, 
and  sometimes  the  other.  The  reader  will  see  how  this  sombre- 
ness  of  hue  enables  it  to  lie  concealed  upon  the  mud  as  it  waits 
for  prey.  At  the  end  of  its  body  may  be  seen  two  slender 
appendages  fringed  with  hairs.  These  appendages  commu- 
nicate "with  the  breathing  tubes  which  pervade  the  body,  and 
the  larva  may  be  observed  in  a  position  resembling  that  which 
is  assumed  by  the  perfect  insect,  the  head  downwards,  and  the 
extremity  of  the  tail  just  above  the  surface  of  the  water,  sus- 
pended and  balanced  by  the  appendages. 

The  mode  in  which  this  formidable  creature  obtains  its 
nourishment  is  very"  remarkable.  The  mandibles  are,  as  may 
be  seen  by  reference  to  the  plate,  large,  sharp,  and  curved. 
When  submitted  to  a  good  magnifier,  they  are  seen  to  be  con- 
structed on  the  same  principle  as  the  fangs  of  a  poisonous 
serpent,  a  hollow  groove  running  throughout  their  length. 
This  groove  is  not  left  open,  but  is  closed  for  the  greater  part 
of  its  length  by  a  membrane,  an  aperture  being  left  at  the 
base.  This  singular  structure  enables  the  larva  first  to  plunge 
its  mandibles  deeply  into  the  body  of  its  prey,  and  then  to 
suck  out  its  juices  though  the  hollow  jaws. 

As  is  the  case  with  the  carnivorous  Beetles  generally,  the 
larva  soon  attains  its  full  growth,  and,  when  the  time  is  at 
hand  for  its  change  into  the  helpless  pupal  condition,  it  takes 
itself  to  the  bank,  up  which  it  climbs,  and,  burrowing  into  the 
damp  earth,  forms  for  itself  a  sort  of  round  cell  or  cocoon, 
within  which  it  assumes  the  pupal  form.     Should  the  change 


60  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

occur  in  the  summer,  the  pupa  changes  into  a  Beetle  in  a 
fortnight  or  a  few  days  more,  according  to  the  warmth  of  the 
weather  ;  bat  if  the  larva  should  retire  within  its  cell  in  the 
autumn,  it  remains  dormant  during  the  winter,  and  does  not 
appear  until  the  following  spring.  As  is  the  case  with  dark- 
coloured  Beetles  generally,  the  newly-developed  insect  is  very 
light  in  colour  and  soft  in  texture,  not  assuming  its  hard,  dark 
coat  of  mail  until  the  expiration  of  some  days. 

There  are  altogether  six  British  species  of  this  genus. 

We  now  pass  on  to  another  genus,  of  which  nineteen  species 
are  acknowledged  to  inhabit  England,  and  will  take,  as  our 
example,  Agahus  hipunctatus,  a  figure  of  which  is  given  on 
Woodcut  No.  VI.  Fig.  1. 

It  has  already  been  mentioned  that  the  Dyticidse  inhabit 
equally  running  or  still  water,  and  that  they  may  be  foimd  indis- 
criminately in  rivers  and  ponds.  Still,  some  species  prefer  the 
still,  and  others  the  running  waters,  and  the  latter  insects  are 
almost  ialways  of  brighter  colour  than  the  former.  Such- is  the 
case  with  the  pretty  little  Beetle  which  is  now  before  us.  The 
head  is  yellow  in  front,  and  black  on  the  crown,  with  two  rust- 
red  spots,  sometimes  fused  into  one,  and  sometimes  so  faint 
as  to  be  scarcely  visible.  The  thorax  is  yellow,  with  the  ex- 
ception of  two  round  black  spots  on  the  disc.  These  sometimes 
are  fused  together,  like  those  of  the  head.  The  elytra  are  pale- 
yellow,  diversified  with  small  black-brown  streaks,  a  brighter 
yellow  spot  near  the  middle,  and  a  stripe  of  the  same  colour 
down  the  suture,  and  upon  the  lateral  margins. 

Passing  over  several  genera  we  come  to  a  Beetle  which  is 
shown  on  Woodcut  No.  VI.  Fig.  2.  It  is  called  Hydrojporus 
duodecim-pustulatus,  and  is  selected  as  an  example  of  a  very 
large  genus,  containing  between  forty  and  fifty  species.  All 
the  Beetles  of  this  genus  have  their  bodies  much  flattened, 
and  the  tarsi  of  the  first  and  middle  pairs  of  legs  with  four 
joints,  while  those  of  the  hind  pair  have  five  joints.  The  two 
first  joints  of  the  antennae  are  rather  longer  than  the  others.     - 

They  are  all  small  Beetles,  and  the  present  species  is  perhaps 
the  largest  of  its  fellows,  though  it  is,  on  an  average,  only  a 
quarter  of  an  inch  in  length.     The  colour  of  the  head  is  dull 


H.\LtPLUS  AND   CNEMIDOTUS.  G] 

reddish-brown,  lighter  and  redder  in  the  middle.  The  anterior 
margin  of  the  thorax  has  a  black  stripe  in  the  middle,  while  a 
similar  stripe  on  the  posterior  margin  is  widened  so  as  to  form 
two  black  lobe-like  marks  on  the  thorax.  The  elytra  are  black, 
and  on  each  elytron  are  six  spots  of  the  same  colour  as  the 
middle  of  the  head,  three  of  the  spots  running  parallel  with 
the  suture,  and  the  other  three  being  placed  along  the  margin. 
Beneath,  the  body  is  yellowish. 

This  pretty  little  Beetle  is  exceedingly  common  in  some 
places,  and  correspondingly  rare  in  others.  Although  the  spots 
differ  much  in  size  and  shape,  and  in  some  specimens  are  even 
fused  into  each  other,  there  is  no  difBculty  in  recognising  the 
insect. 

Our  next  example  of  the  Hydradephaga  is  Haliplus  varie- 
gatus,  an  insect  which  is  shown  on  Woodcut  No.  VI.  Fig.  3. 

Like  the  last  species,  this  is  a  pretty  little  Beetle,  and 
exceedingly  variable  in  its  colour,  so  variable  indeed  that  it 
has  been  described  by  the  same  writer  under  the  name  of  at 
least  two  species.  It  is  a  very  small  insect,  not  quite  one-sixth 
of  an  inch  in  length.  Its  usual  colour  is  as  follows  : — The  head 
is  dark  brick-red,  deepening  into  blackish-browni  on  the  top. 
The  thorax  is  paler  than  the  head.  The  elytra  are  rather  con- 
vex, sharply  pointed,  deep  reddish-brown  in  colour,  and  have 
some  blackish  spots  near  the  margin.  This  variety  is  common  ; 
but  there  is  one  which  is  much  rarer,  and  in  this  the  general 
hue  is  greyish-yellow,  and  the  whole  insect  altogether  lighter 
in  colour.  The  brightest-colom-ed  specimens  are  found  in 
rather  swift  streams  running  through  a  gravelly  soil. 

There  are  eleven  British  species  belonging  to  this  genus. 

On  Woodcut  No.  Yl.  Fig.  4,  is  sho^vn  another  of  these  prettily- 
coloured  but  variable  Water  Beetles.  Its  name  is  Cnemidotus 
ccesus,  and  it  has  a  vast  amount  of  detail  in  its  colour,  in 
spite  of  its  small  size,  which  does  not  exceed  one-sixth  of  an 
inch.  The  general  colour  of  the  insect  is  light-yellow,  the 
head  is  punctated,  and  upon  the  base  of  the  thorax  is  a  curved, 
punctated  impression.  In  order  to  see  the  markings  on  the 
elytra,  or  indeed  to  see  any  part  of  the  markings  properly,  a 
good  lens  is  required.     When  viewed  With  such  assistance,  the 


62  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

elytra  are  seen  to  be  covered  with  alternate  stripes  and  dots, 
arranged  in  regular  lines,  of  which  there  are  two  on  each  elytron. 
This  pretty  little  Beetle  may  be  found  in  most  parts  of 
England,  pools  and  ditches  being  the  best  localities  for  it.  It 
is  the  only  British  species  of  its  genus. 

Our  last  example  of  the  Dyticidce  is  that  which  stands  last  in 
the  list.  It  is  called  Pelobius  Hermanni,  and  is  shown  on 
Woodcut  No.  VI.  Fig.  5.  This  is  the  only  British  specimen  of 
its  genus,  wnich  is  very  distinct  from  all  the  other  Dyticidae, 
inasmuch  as  there  is  a  distinct  scutellum,  and  all  the  legs  are 
formed  for  walking,  the  hinder  legs  not  possessing  the  peculiar 
mode  of  jointing  which  was  mentioned  on  page  54.  The  body 
is  very  convex. 

The  colour  is  rather  variable,  but  may  be  summed  up  as 
follows : — The  hue  of  the  Beetle  is  rust-red,  and  there  is  a 
blackish  patch  round  the  eyes.  The  thorax  has  the  front  and 
hind  margins  black.  The  convex  elytra  have  a  blackish  patch 
in  the  middle,  and  are  longitudinally  wrinkled,  the  wrinkles 
converging  towards  the  suture  at  the  tip  of  the  elytra.  Like 
the  preceding  insect,  though  not  very  common,  it  is  spread 
tolerably  evenly  over  the  country.  It  has  the  capability  of 
producing  a  squeaking  sound  when  handled. 

Having  now  gone  through  the  Dyticidae,  we  come  to  the  second 
family  of  the  Hydradephaga — that  of  the  Gryrinidae,  or  Whirli- 
gig Beetles,  so  called  on  account  of  the  manner  in  which  they 
whirl  themselves  about  on  the  surface  of  the  water. 

There  is  not  the  least  difficulty  in  determining  whether  or 
not  a  Water  Beetle  belongs  to  the  Gryrinidae.  Besides  the 
distinctions  mentioned  on  page  54,  the  peculiar  antenna  of  a 
Gyrinus  is  shown  on  Woodcut  No.  VI.  Fig./,  and  the  hinder  leg 
at  Fig.  e,  both  being  much  magnified.  Besides  these  points,  all 
the  Gryrinidse  appear  to  differ  not  only  from  the  Dyticidae,  but 
from  Beetles  generally,  in  having,  or  rather  in  appearing  to 
have^  four  compound  eyes  instead  of  two.  The  real  fact,  how- 
ever, is  that,  in  order  to  suit  the  peculiar  habits  of  the  insects, 
the  structure  of  the  eye  is  modified. 

These  Beetles  pass  the  greater  part  of  their  time  on  the 
surface  of  the  water,  ro'wing  themselves  about  with  wonderful 


EYES   OF  THE  WHIRLIGIG.  63 

velocity,  and  always  on  the  look-out  for  prey.  If  the  eyes 
were  formed  like  those  of  the  Dyticidoe,  the  water  would 
certainly  impinge  against  them  and  render  the  insect  incapable 
of  seeing,  by  reason  of  the  drops  of  water  which  would  be 
continually  splashed  over  its  eyes.  In  order  to  enable  it  to 
see  properly  above  the  surface,  it  is  needful  that  the  eyes 
should  be  placed  high  enough  to  be  out  of  reach  of  the  water  ; 
and  to  enable  it  to  see  objects  in  the  water,  it  is  necessary 
that  the  eyes  should  be  submerged. 

All  practical  entomologists  are  personally  acquainted  with 
this  latter  fact ;  for  they  know  well  that  if  they  want  to  see 
objects  at  the  bottom  of  the  water,  the  only  way  to  do  so  is 
to  lie  on  the  bank  and  submerge  the  eyes  entirely.  In  some 
parts  of  the  world  fishermen  use  a  water-telescope  for  the  same 
purpose.  This  is  nothing  more  than  a  tube,  open  at  one  end, 
and  having  a  plain  glass  closely  fitted  to  the  other.  When  used, 
the  closed  end  is  pushed  well  below  the  surface,  and  the  eye 
applied  to  the  open  end,  when  it  is  found  that  objects  can  be 
seen  nearly  as  well  below  as  above  the  water. 

The  eyes  of  the  Whirligig  Beetles  are  in  fact  water-telescopes. 
Instead  of  being  placed  in  two  masses,  one  on  each  side  of  the 
head,  each  is  divided  by  the  portion  of  the  head  which  carries 
the  antennae ;  so  that  half  of  the  eye-cluster  is  well  out  of  the 
water,  and  can  see  objects  above  the  surface,  while  the  other 
half  is  svibmerged,  and  can  see  objects  beneath  it. 

The  Common  Whirligig,  Gyrinus  natator,  which  is  shown 
on  Plate  III.  Fig.  3,  is  very  gregarious  in  its  habits,  and  may 
generally  be  seen  in  small  companies,  whirling  about  on  the 
surface  of  the  water  in  very  still  and  sheltered  places.  As 
they  dart  about,  they  often  strike  against  each  other  ;  but  the 
shock  does  no  harm  to  their  hard  and  polished  bodies,  and 
they  go  on  with  their  unceasing  round  as  if  nothing  had 
happened.  Their  chief  object  in  thus  continually  darting  over 
the  surface  is  to  obtain  food,  which  consists  principally  of 
small  flies,  Beetles,  and  other  insects  which  fall  into  the  water. 
They  use  their  long  fore  legs  in  the  captui-e  of  prey.  They 
are  watchful  little  Beetles,  and  if  they  fear  danger  they  dive 
to  the  bottom,  and  there  remain  until  they  think  that  they 
can  return  in  safety  to  the  surface. 

As  in  the  case  with  the  Dyticidse,  these  insects  are  furnished 


64  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

with  large  and  powerful  wings,  which  they  can  use  freely  ;  and 
by  the  aid  of  which  tliey  can  leave  one  piece  of  water  and  go  to 
another  at  will,  so  tliat  a  newly-formed  puddle  is  sometimes 
seen  with  several  of  these  Beetles  disporting  themselves  on  the 
surface. 

The  life  history  of  the  Gyrinus  is  rather  a  curious  one,  and 
is  much  the  same  with  all  the  species.  The  eggs  are  deposited 
on  a  water-plant,  and  laid  in  regular  rows.  From  them,  in  a 
week  or  a  little  more,  the  curious  larvae  are  hatched.  One 
of  these  larvae  is  shown  on  Plate  III.  Fig.  5.  It  is  dirty-white* 
in  colour,  and  has  a  large,  flat,  oval  head,  armed  with  powerful 
jaws,  and  six  rather  long  legs  ;  while  from  each  side  of  the 
eight  last  joints  of  the  body  proceeds  a  very  slender  iilament, 
which  is  part  of  the  respiratory  system.  The  last  segment  has 
two  pairs  of  these  filaments,  each  of  which  is  seen,  on  being 
viewed  by  the  aid  of  the  microscope,  to  contain  an  air-tube, 
which  passes  into  the  body  and  there  joins  the  general  system. 
When  in  the  water  its  appearance  is  very  much  like  that  of  a 
centipede,  except  that  the  respiratory  filaments  have  no  in- 
dependent motion,  like  the  legs  of  the  centipede,  but  trail 
loosely  in  the  water. 

In  due  time  the  larva  is  full-fed,  and  it  then,  as  do  many 
other  aquatic  creatures,  .leaves  the  water  and  crawls  up  the 
stem  of  a  water-plant,  imtil  it  is  several  inches  above  the  sur- 
face. Having  found  a  safe  place,  it  spins  for  itself  a  small  grey 
cocoon,  and  there  waits  until  it  has  assumed  its  perfect  state, 
when  it  breaks  through  the  walls  of  the  cover,  and  again  seeks 
the  water.  One  of  these  cocoons  is  shown  on  Plate  III.  Fig.  6, 
attached  to  the  leaf  of  the  Common  Arrowhead  {Sagittaria 
sag  itti folia). 

Like  the  Dyticidae,  almost  all  the  Whirligig  Beetles  exude  a 
whitish  liquid  of  a  very  unpleasant  odour,  and  are  sure  to  do 
so  when  handled. 

There  are  six  English  species  of  Gyrinus,  some  of  which  are 
rarer  than  others.  The  present  species,  which  is  the  most 
common,  is  about  a  quarter  of  an  inch  in  length,  and  blue- 
black  in  colour,  with  a  reddish  mouth.  The  elytra  are  greenish 
at  the  margins,  and  become  narrowed  towards  the  apex.  They 
are  very  .slightly  striated  and  punctured. 

A  much  rarer  species  is    GyHnus  bicolor,  which  must  be 


HAIRY  WHIKLiGIG.  65. 

sought  in  salt  marshes  and  similar  localities.  It  is  much 
larger  in  proportion  to  its  width  than  the  preceding  species, 
so  that  it  can  at  once  be  detected.  The  most  remarkable,  or 
at  least  the  most  divergent,  of  the  Whirligigs  is  the  IIaiuy 
WniRi.ir.ia  (Orectochilus  villosus),  which  may  at  once  be  de- 
tected by  the  fact  that  the^  upper  part  of  its  body  is  black, 
covered  with  short  greyish  down.  The  body  is  reddish -yellow 
beneath,  and  the  elytra  are  thickly  and  deeply  punctated. 
This  insect  is  not  so  fond  of  society  as  the  other  species, 
neither  does  it  love  the  light  of  day,  but  hides  itself  in  the 
banks  of  rivers  and  running  waters  during  the  daytime,  and 
seeks  its  prey  by  night.  In  consequence  of  this  habit  it  is  not 
often  seen,  and  even  in  places  where  it  is  tolerably  common  is 
sure  to  escape  the  observation  of  anyone  who  does  not  know 
how  and  when  to  look  for  it.  It  is  rather  a  local  insect,  and 
Mr.  F.  W.  Hope  gives  the  Dart  and  rivulets  on  Dartmoor  as  a 
favourite  locality. 

The  popular  name  Whirhvig-  is  often  substituted  for  Whirli- 
gig. The  generic  title  Orectochilus  is  formed  fi'om  two  Greek 
words,  signifying  '  stretch ed-lip,'  and  alludes  to  the  structure 
of  the  labrum,  or  upper  lip,  which  is  lengthened  by  a  pale- 
coloured  friuire  on  its  edo-e. 


CHAPTER  V. 
BBACHELYTRA. 

The  group  of  Beetles  which  comes  next  in  order  is  equally 
conspicuous  with  the  Hydradephaga,  but  utterly  unlike  it  or 
any  of  the  groups  which  have  been  described.  These  Beetles 
are  long-bodied,  agile,  and  seem  to  play  the  same  part  among 
Coleoptera  as  the  weasel  tribe  among  the  Mammalia.  Most, 
though  not  all  of  them,  are  predatorial,  and  some  of  them, 
especially  the  larger  species,  are  exceedingly  fierce  as  well  as 
voracious,  and  will  fight  any  foe,  no  matter  how  much  they 
may  be  overmatched. 

The  name  Brachelytra  is  a  very  appropriate  one,  signifying 
short  elytra.  These  insects  have  the  elytra  very  short  and 
squared,  so  short  indeed  that  six  or  seven  segments  of  the 
abdomen  generally  protrude  beyond  them.  Although  the  elytra 
are  so  small,  the  wings  are  very  large ;  and,  though  they 
must  necessarily  be  folded  in  a  most  complicate^  manner 
before  they  can  be  packed  under  the  elytra,  these  insects  can 
take  the  air  with  more  readiness  than  any  other  Beetles,  ex- 
cept, perhaps,  the  Tiger  Beetles,  whose  manner  of  flight  has 
been  described  on  page  16.  In  folding  the  wings  under  the 
elytra,  the  Beetle  is  obliged  to  act  in  a  very  curious  manner, 
bending  the  tail  over  the  back,  and  with  the  extremity  of  the 
body  arranging  the  wings  under  their  sheaths.  The  earwig 
uses  its  forceps  for  a  similar  purpose,  as  we  shall  see  when  we 
come  to  that  insect.  '  Fig.  c.  Woodcut  No.  VII.,  shows  one  of 
the  large  Brachelytra  in  the  act  of  packing  up  its  wings.  In 
consequence  of  their  activity  both  on  the  wing  and  on  foot, 
these  insects  have  gained  the  popular  name  of  Rove  Beetles. 

All  these  Beetles  have  the  habit  of  bending  their  bodies 
upwards  when  alarmed,  for  which  reason  they  have  received 
the  popular  name  of  Cocktail  Beetles.     This  act  has,  in  the 


ODOUR  OF  THE  ROVE  BEETLES.  67 

larger  species,  so  menacing  an  aspect  that  many  persons  are 
afraid  to  touch  so  formidable  an  insect.  In  reality,  the  smaller 
species  are  more  to  be  dreaded  than  the  larger.  I  have  already 
mentioned  that  the  Brachelytra  take  easily  to  wing,  when 
they  may  be  mistaken  for  flies,  so  ample  are  their  wings  and 
so  quick  their  movements.  Many  of  them  are  very  small — 
not  thicker  than  an  ordinary  horsehair — and  these  are  almost 
invariably  the  little  black  '  flies '  that  are  in  the  habit  of  getting 
into  the  eye  on  fine  summer  evenings,  and 'causing  an  amount 
of  pain  which  seems  quite  disproportionate  to  the  size  of  the 
insect.  Of  course  even  a  small  fly  would  cause  pain  if  it  got 
into  the  eye ;  but  Avhen  one  of  these  Beetles  finds  itself 
imprisoned,  it  instinctively  turns  up  its  pointed  tail,  and 
thus  causes  a  double  aniount  of  irritation.  I  believe  that, 
out  of  every  ten  '  flies '  that  get  into  the  eye,  seven  are  Bra- 
chelytra. 

Although  the  larger  Brachelytra  need  not  be  particularly 
dreaded,  in  spite  of  their  fierce  looks,  it  is  as  well  not  to  handle 
them  without  necessity.  Their  bite,  although  sharp,  is  of  no 
particular  consequence  ;  but  they  possess  a  more  formidable 
weapon  than  their  jaws.  At  the  end  of  the  tail  are  two  tuber- 
cles, wliich  exude  a  secretion  of  the  most  odious  character. 
Like  that  of  the  skunk,  it  has  an  odom-,  or  rather  a  stench, 
peculiarly — and  fortunately  so — its  own,  and  which  cannot  be 
described  by  any  comparison.  That  of  the  common  snake, 
when  irritated,  comes,  perhaps,  nearer  it  than  any  other ;  but 
even  that  singularly  unpleasant  emanation  is  not  so  utterly 
disgusting  as  the  effluvium  of  an  angry  Rove  Beetle. 

As  each  group  of  insects  has  certain  characteristics  by  which 
its  members  can  be  identified,  I  will  here  mention  some  of  the 
chief  characters  which  mark  the  Brachelytra.  The  observer  should 
first  note  the  comparative  sizes  and  shapes  of  the  joints  of  the 
antennae,  palpi,  and  tarsi ;  then,  let  him  look  for  the  spiracles, 
or  breathing  holes,  in  the  prothorax.  Next  in  importance 
come  the  quantity  and  colour  of  any  down  that  may  be  on  the 
insect ;  while  the  relative  width  of  the  front  tarsi  will  deter- 
mine the  sex. 

The  first  family  is  that  of  the  Aleocharidae.  In  this  family 
the  spiracles  on  the  sides  of  the  prothorax  are  plainly  visible, 

F  2 


68 


INSECTS   AT   II0:ME. 


the  antennae  are  set  ciose  between  and  in  front  of  the  eyes,  and 
the  last  joint  of  the  maxillary  palpi  is  very  small  and  thread- 
like. The  form  of  the  maxillary  palpus  can  be  seen  by  refer- 
ence to  Woodcut  No.  VII.  Fig.  d.  In  this  family  the  front 
tarsi  of  the  males  are  not  wider  than  those  of  the  females,  but 
they  can  be  detected  by  looking  at  the  last  segment  but  one 


1.  Fala.sTia  sulcata.  2.  Aleochara  fuscipes.  3.  Atemeles  emarginatus.  4.  Oxypoda 
liiteipennis.  5.  Homalota  bnmnea.  a.  Stapbylinus.  anterior  tarsus  of  female,  undilated. 
6.  Stapliylinns,  anterior  tarsus  of  male,  dilated,  c.  Staphylinus,  closing  its  wings  with  ex- 
tremity of  its  tail.  d.  Falagria,  maxillary  palpus.  e.  Falagria,  rigiit  mandible.  /. 
FaUigria,  labial  palpi.        gr.  Falagria,  antenna. 


of  the  abdomen,  and  seeing  whether  it  is  tubercled,  ridged,  or 
has  a  thicker  posterior  margin.  In  such  cases  the  insect  is  of 
the  male  sex. 

This  is  in  many  respects  a  very  remarkable  group  of  insects, 
because  in  no  less  than  eight  of  the  genera  included  in  it  there 
are  Beetles  which  are  parasitic  upon  other  insects,  and  which 
pass  the  whole  of  their  lives  in  the  nests  of  ants.     There  is 


THE  SM^VLL  ROVE   BEETLES.  69 

even  one  species  that  inhabits  the  nest  of  the  sand  martin. 
In  the  course  of  the  following  pages  we  shall  come  upon 
several  of  these  curious  Beetles. 

Our  first  example  of  tliis  family  is  FalagHa  sulcata — it  is 
drawn  on  Woodcut  No.VII.  Fig.  1.  There  are  four  species  of  this 
genus,  which  is  distinguished  by  the  large  head,  which  is  very 
distinct  from  the  thorax,  the  first  joint  of  the  tarsus  long,  and 
the  bases  of  the  elytra  without  wrinkles.  The  structure  of  the 
antennae  can  be  seen  by  reference  to  Fig.  r/  iii  the  same  illustra- 
tion ;  the  maxillary  palpus  is  shown  at  d,  the  right  mandible 
at  e,  and  the  labial  palpi  at/. 

All  the  Beetles  belonging  to  this  genus  are  very  small,  and 
many  of  them  may  be  captured  with  an  ordinary  butterfiy-net, 
while  on  the  wing.  Some  of  the  Brachelytra  are  so  exceedingly 
minute  that  the  best  plan  to  procure  them  is  the  'catch-em- 
alive-oh'  principle.  A  few  sheets  of  white  paper  should  be 
brushed  over  with  very  pure  gum-water  and  left  to  dry,  when 
they  will  be  useful  at  any  time.  When  the  entomologist  wishes 
to  capture  these  minute  creatures,  all  he  has  to  do  is  to  choose 
a  warm  sunshiny  day,  damp  one  of  these  gummed  sheets,  and 
wave  it  about  under  trees  until  it  is  dry.  On  examining  it,  a 
number  of  tiny  blackish  specks  will  generally  be  seen,  and  most 
of  these,  when  a  lens  is  brought  to  bear  on  them,  prove  to  be 
Brachelytra.  The  same  paper  can  be  used  over  and  over  again, 
the  captured  insects  being  removed  with  the  point  of  a  fine 
camel-hair  pencil  dipped  in  water.  The  species  which  we  are  now 
examining  is  shining  brownish-black  in  colour.  The  thorax  is 
rather  heart-shaped,  and  along  the  centre  runs  a  very  deep 
furrow,  reaching  to  the  scutellum.  The  elytra  are  very  wide, 
smooth,  and  slightly  sunk  at  the  base.  The  legs  and  base  of 
the  antennae  are  brick-red.  This  specimen  is  a  very  curious 
one,  and  may  be  found  in  all  parts  of  Englancf,  buried  in  fungi 
and  decaying  vegetable  inatter. 

The  typical  gem\?>  Aleochara  has  the  head  deeply  sunk  into  the 
thorax,  whicli  is  convex  and  broad.  The  elytra  are  broader 
than  they  are  long.  The  abdomen  has  a  flattened  margin 
along  the  sides,  and  the  tarsi  have  five  joints,  the  basal  joint  of 
the  hinder  tarsi  being  longest.  The  antennas  are  short,  stout,  and 
the  fourth  and  tentli  joints  are  of  equal  length. 


70  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

On  Woodcut  VII.  Fig.  2,  is  represented  a  good  example  of 
this  genus,  Alcochara  fusci'pes. 

The  colour  of  this  Beetle  is  shining-black.  The  antennae 
are  short  and  thickened  in  the  middle.  The  elytra  are  red, 
edged  with  black,  and  the  legs  and  base  of  the  antennae  are 
red,  the  thighs  being  dull-brown  instead  of  red.  This  insect 
flies  rapidly.  It  is  a  common  species,  and,  small  as  it  is,  yet 
is  the  largest  of  its  genus.  It  haunts  decaying  substances, 
whether  animal  or  vegetable.  Fifteen  British  species'  are 
known. 

Another  member  of  the  same  family,  Atemeles  emarginatus, 
is  shown  on  Woodcut  VII.  Fig.  3,  and  is  a  rather  odd-looking 
insect.  The  genus  is  distinguished  by  its  broad  body,  and  the 
two  projections  upon  the  last  joint  but  one  of  the  abdomen. 
The  second  and  third  joints  of  the  antennse  are  small.  There 
are  only  two  British  species  of  this  genus.  ' 

The  general  colour  of  this  insect  is  shining-brown.  The 
head  is  black,  and  the  thorax  has  a  shallow  furrow  along  its 
disc.  The  elytra  are  red-brown,  covered  with  short  golden 
down,  and  the  posterior  angles  are  produced  into  short  sharp 
spines. 

This  is  one  of  the  parasitic  Beetles,  residing  in  the  nests  of 
the  bank-ant  (^Formica  fusca),  and  a  smaller  species  of  ant 
{Myrmica  ruginodis).  Both  these  ants  are  very  fond  of  their 
guest ;  and  if  the  nest  be  opened,  the  ants  take  as  much  care  of 
the  Beetles  as  of  their  own  young,  picking  them  up  in  their 
jaws,  and  carrying  them  into  a  place  of  safety.  That  these 
Beetles  do  not  eat  either  the  ants,  their  eggs,  or  their  young  is 
evident  from  this  fact ;  and  it  is  thought  probable  by  many 
entomologists  that  the  Beetle  discharges  some  secretion  which 
is  grateful  to  the  ants,  as  is  the  case  with  sundry  Aphides. 

The  little  Beetle,  Oxypoda  luteipennis,  which  is  represented 
on  Woodcut  VII.  Fig.  4,  also  belongs  to  the  same  family. 

The  leading  characteristics  of  this  genus  are  as  follows.  The 
thorax  is  much  broader  behind  than  in  front,  and  the  head  is 
sunk  in  it  nearly  to  the  eyeB.  The  el3H:ra  have  a  distinct  notch 
at  the  outer  angle  of  the  apex.  The  abdomen  is  strongly 
margined,  and  the  tarsi  have  the  basal  joint  rather  larger  than 


HOW   TO   ELUDE  AN   ENEMY.  7\ 

the  second.     The  antennae  are  long,  and  slightly  thickened  at 
the  tip.     There  are  fourteen  species  of  this  geaus. 

The  head  of  this  species  is  black,  and  the  thorax  is  convex, 
with  a  deep  pit  at  the  base.  Its  colour  is  dusky-black,  covered 
with  down.  The  elytra  are  dull  brick-red,  becoming  brown  at 
the  suture ;  the  legs  are  red,  and  the  abdomen  is  black  with 
red  edges  to  all  the  segments.  The  insect  is  common  every- 
where. 

The  Beetle  which  is  our  next  example  of  this  family  belongs 
to  an  enormous  genus,  containing  at  least  160  species.  Its 
name  is  Homalota  brunnea,  and  it  is  drawn  on  Woodcut  VII. 
Fig.  5. 

In  this  genus  the  head  is  without  any  distinct  neck,  and  the 
body  is  narrow  and  much  flattened.  The  tarsi  of  the  front  legs 
have  four  joints,  and  those  of  the  hind  legs  five  joints,  the  four 
first  joints  being  equal  in  size.  The  joints  of  the  antennae  are 
bead-like. 

The  present  species  is  a  flat,  shining,  brick -red  insect,  with 
the  exception  of  the  head  and  the  last  segment  but  one  of  the 
abdomen,  which  are  grey-black,  the  abdomen  being  thickly  and 
rather  deeply  punctured.  There  is  a  very  shallow  groove  in  the 
middle  of  the  thorax.     The  legs  are  pale  reddish -brown. 

This  is  a  very  common  insect,  and  yet  Mr.  E.  A.  Smith,  who 
has  long  given  much  attention  to  the  Brachelytra,  tells  me  that 
he  cannot  fix  upon  any  special  locality  for  it,  having  found 
it  indifferently  in  sand-pits,  on  palings,  and  similar  places. 
Indeed,  the  whole  family  is  a  very  bewildering  and  trouble- 
some one  to  the  investigator,  and  would  require  the  uninter- 
rupted labour  of  several  years  before  it  could  be  thoroughly 
mastered. 

OuK  last  example  of  this  large  family  is  the  Beetle  called 
Gyrophcena  gentilis,  which  is  drawn  on  Woodcut  VIII.  Fig.  1. 

The  Beetles  of  this  genus  are  broad  in  proportion  to  their 
length,  and  much  flattened  ;  yet,  in  spite  of  their  short 
bodies,  they  are  able  to  double,  or  rather  roll,  themselves  up 
until  they  look  like  anything  but  insects,  and  are  difiicult  of 
detection.  The  thorax  is  wider  than  the  head  and  very  short, 
and  the  elytra  are  wider  than  they  are  long.     The  anterior 


12 


INSECTS   AT   HOME. 


tarsi  have  only  four  joints,  and  the  posterior  five  joints,  the 
latter  having  the  basal  joint  longer  than  the  others. 

The  species  is  dusky-red,  with  a  tinge  of  yellow,  with  the 
exception  of  the  head  and  a  belt  on  the  abdomen,  which  are 
pitchy-black.  The  thorax  has  a  definite  margin,  and  is  thickly 
punctured.     The  legs  are  paler  than  the  body.     It  is  found  on 


] .  G-yrophsena  gentilis.  2.  Quedius  dilatatiis,  3.  Creophilus  maxillosus.  4.  Philonthus 
barginatus.  5.  Xantholinus  glabratus.  a.  Philonthus,  right  mandible.  &.  Quedius,  right 
mandible.        c.  Philonthus,  labial  palpi.        d.  Quedius,  labial  palpi.       e.  Philonthus,  antenna. 


fungi  of  various  kinds.  There  is  a  curious  point  about  this 
insect  which  is  worth  recording.  One  of  the  very  rarest  of  the 
British  Brachelytra  is  a  Beetle  of  the  same  family,  called 
Myrmedonia  Haworthi,  one  of  the  parasitic  Beetles.  When 
the  GyrophcBna  gentilis  is  placed  under  the  magnifier,  so  as  to 
enlarge  it  to  the  size  of  the  Myrmedonia,  the  two  Beetles  are 
almost  exactly  alike. 


'SETTING'   EOVE   BEETLES.  73 

The  family  of  the  Tachyporidoe  comes  next  in  order.  These 
Beetles  have  the  head  usually  sunk  deeply  in  the  thorax, 
without  any  distinct  neck.  The  spiracles  of  the  prothorax  are 
conspicuous,  and  the  antennae  are  before  the  eyes,  on  the 
margin  of  the  forehead.  The  males  have  the  basal  joints  of 
the  tarsi  dilated.  All  these  Beetles  are  unrivalled  for  their 
speed,  and  in  consequence  of  this  characteristic  the  name  of 
Tachyporidce,  or  '  swift-footed,'  has  been  given  to  them. 

Among  these  insects  will  be  found  the  most  troublesome 
examples  of  that  telescopic  shutting  up  of  the  body  which  has 
already  been  mentioned.  Mr.  E.  C.  Rye  recommends  the  fol- 
lowing plan  for  preserving  the  proper  shape  of  the  Beetle  : — 
'  The  best  way  in  mounting  them  is  to  put  gum  arabic,  with 
which  a  little  sugar  has  been  melted,  under  the  tail ;  and,  as 
soon  as  that  is  dry,  gum  the  entire  last  segment  over  with 
tragacanth,  keeping  the  abdomen  from  contracting  (if  you  can) 
with  a  card  brace.  They  should  not  be  dried  quickly.'  Some 
of  these  insects  are -so  troublesome  in  this  respect,  that  the  only 
plan  of  getting  them  back  into  shape  is  to  fix  the  last  segment 
of  the  body  to  the  card  with  a  tiny  drop  of  coaguline  or 
diamond  cement,  which  soon  sets.  Then,  when  it  is  sufficiently 
hardened,  take  the  front  part  of  the  body  in  the  forceps,  and 
draw  it  gently  forward  until  the  segments  of  the  abdomen  have 
been  pulled  out  to^their  proper  extent.  Then  put  a  small  drop 
of  coaguline  under  the  thorax,  press  it  down  with  a  card  brace, 
and  keep  it  down  until  it  is  dry. 

Our  first  example  of  this  family  is  a  Beetle  called  Boletohius 
atricapillus,  which  is  shown  on  Plate  IV.  Fig.  1,  two  specimens 
being  drawn  as  crawling  on  the  top  of  a  mushroom,  and  the 
other  in  flight.  The  insects  of  this  genus  live  in  fungi  of 
different  kinds,  on  which  account  they  are  called  by  the  name 
of  Boletohius,  or  '  fungus-inhabiting.'  Others  are  seen  as  they 
appear  when  running  in  and  out  of  the  gills  of  a  mushroom. 
In  this  genus,  which  contains  eight  species,  the  body  narrows 
to  a  point  behind,  the  head  is  long,  the  palpi  slender,  and  the 
antennae  are  long  in  proportion  to  the  size  of  the  insect. 

The  general  colour  of  this  species  is  glossy-red  and  shining. 
The  head,  breast,  scutellum,  and  tip  of  the  abdomen  are  black, 
and  the  elytra  are  blue-black  with  a  cream-white  curved  mark 


74  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

on  the  shoulder,  and  a  line  of  the  same  colour  upon  the 
posterior  margin.  The  antennae  are  rather  curiously  coloured, 
the  four  first  joints  being  black,  the  next  five  pale-red,  and  the 
last  black,  like  those  of  the  base. 

It  is  a  very  common  insect,  and  may  be  found  in  fungi  in 
the  autumn.  Indeed,  in  consequence  of  their  fungi-loving 
habits,  all  these  Beetles  are  to  be  found  towards  the  close  of 
the  year.  As  this  is  a  common  species,  the  reader  is  recom- 
mended to  try  his  hand  at  setting  it  in  the  way  above- 
mentioned.  Even  if  three  or  four  be  spoiled,  plenty  more  can 
be  procured,  and  the  practice  will  be  invaluable  when  insects  of 
greater  rarity  have  to  be  set.  None  of  the  Tachyporidse  are 
large,  and  though  most  of  them  frequent  fungi,  many  are  found 
under  leaf-heaps,  in  bones,  and  similar  localities. 

The  reader  will  experience  no  difficulty  in  identifying  the 
curious  Beetle  drawn  on  Woodcut  No.  VIII.  Fig.  2,  when  he 
finds  it ;  for,  in  the  first  place,  he  will  find  no  other  Beetle  in 
the  same  locality,  and  in  the  next  place,  its  serrated  antennae 
and  round  and  sbield-like  thorax  will  at  once  point  it  out  to 
him.    The  name  of  this  Beetle  is  Quedius  [  Velleius']  dilatatus. 

There  are  more  than  twenty  species  of  this  genus,  which  may 
be  known  by  the  shield-like  thorax.  Some  of  them  are  ex- 
ceedingly variable ;  one  of  them,  Quedius  fulgidus,  having 
been  called  by  no  less  than  thirteen  names.  The  present 
species  is  broad  and  black,  with  a  beautiful  iridescence  on  the 
abdomen,  and,  although  so  sombrely  coloured,  is  a  great  acqui- 
sition to  the  cabinet.  Formerly  it  was  the  rarest  of  the  rare 
among  British  Beetles,  and  even  now  is  one  of  the  greatest 
treasures  that  an  entomologist  can  possess ;  but,  now  that  its 
locality  is  known,  it  may  perhaps  oftener  find  a  place  in  our 
cabinets.  The  secret  of  its  rarity  is  that  it  is  one  of  the 
parasitic  Brachelytra,  and  lives  in  the  nest  of  the  hornet.  Mr. 
F.  Smith,  who  has  paid  so  much  attention  to  this  subject, 
thinks  that  the  larva  of  the  Quedius  feeds  upon  that  of  the 
hornet,  and  mentions  that  he  has  found  in  a  hornet's  nest  a 
considerable  number  of  dead  larvae,  which  he  believed  to  be 
those  of  the  Quedius.  Up  to  the  present  time,  1871,  he  has 
not  found  a  specimen  of  the  Beetle,  though  he  has  opened  very 
many  hornets'  nests.     We  may  call  it  the  Hornet  Beetle. 


RAEITY  OF  THE  HOENET   BEETLE.  75 

Even  now  that  the  locality  of  this  Beetle  is  known,  to  secure 
a  specimen  is  no  easy  matter.  In  the  first  place,  it  is  a  very 
exceptional  piece  of  good  fortune  to  find  a  hornets'  nest  that 
contains  a  Quedius  dilatatus,  as  I  can  testify  from  personal 
experience,  having  seen  plenty  of  hornets'  nests  and  never  seen 
a  living  specimen  of  this  Beetle  ;  and  in  the  next  place,  a 
hornets'  nest  cannot  be  taken  like  that  of  the  wasp.  To  take  a 
wasps'  nest  is  a  very  easy  business,  as  the  wasps  always  rest  at 
night,  and  their  fortress  can  be  stormed  without  the  least 
danger.  But  hornets  have  an  uncomfortable  plan  of  working 
by  night  as  well  as  by  day,  so  that  no  small  risk  has  to  be  run 
by  anyone  who  tries  to  take  1  he  nest  of  a  hornet.  Moreover, 
whereas  wasps  usually  make  i  heir  nests  in  the  ground,  wliere 
ihey  can  easily  be  dug  out,  hornets  generally  make  theirs  in 
the  hollows  of  trees,  and  often  at  a  considerable  height  from 
the  ground,  so  that  they  cannot  be  extracted  without  the  use  of 
saw,  mallet,  and  chisel.  The  late  Mr.  F.  Stone,  who  probably 
had  more  experience  with  wa.-ps  and  hornets  than  any  other 
naturalist,  told  me  that,  if  he  began  to  cut  out  a  hornets'  nest 
at  midnight,  he  never  expected  to  finish  his  task  until  six  or 
seven  next  morning,  exposed  the  while  to  the  attacks  of  hornets 
that  had  been  out  to  collect  food  or  material.  So  it  is  no 
wonder  that  Quedius  dilatatus  should  be  a  valuable  acqui- 
sition, even  though  we  do  know  where  to  find  it. 

The  Beetle,  however,  does  not  restrict  itself  to  the  hornet, 
but  is  sometimes  parasitic  on  the  caterpillar  of  the  goat-moth. 
In  this  case,  though  the  task  of  getting  it  out  of  the  tree  is  not 
so  dangerous  as  in  the  case  when  it  quarters  itself  on  the 
hornet,  it  is  quite  as  tedious  and  fatiguing. 

One  species  of  this  genus,  Quedius  brevis,  is  to  be  found  in  the 
nests  of  the  wood-ant  {Formica  rufa).  One  of  these  Beetles  is 
shown  on  Plate  XI.  The  length  of  this  insect  is  about  half  an 
inch,  and  its  elytra  are  brick-red. 

The  family  of  the  Staphylinidge,  which  comes  next  in  order, 
contains  the  largest  species  of  this  group  of  Beetles,  some  of 
them  reaching,  or  even  slightly  exceeding,  an  inch  in  length. 
They  may  be  known  by  several  peculiarities  of  structure.  The 
antennse  are  set  far  apart,  their  junction  with  the  head  being 
in  front,  within  the  base  of  the  mandibles,  which  are  large  and 


76  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

formidable.  The  maxillary  palpi  are  slender,  and  the  ligula 
small.  The  spiracles  of  the  prothorax  are  large.  The  tarsi 
of  the  front  feet  are  dilated  in  the  males  and  slender  in  the 
females,  and  may  be  seen  by  reference  to  Woodcut  No.  VII., 
where  Fig.  a  represents  the  tarsus  of  a  female  Staphylinus,  and  h 
the  same  joint  in  the  male.  The  jaws,  too,  are  not  so  powerful 
in  the  female,  neither  are  their  heads  so  large  as  in  the  case 
with  the  other  sex. 

Our  first  example  of  the  Staphylinidas  is  one  of  the  finest — in 
my  opinion  the  very  finest — of  that  family.  It  is  called  scien- 
tifically Greophilus  maxillosus,  but  has,  unfortunately,  no 
popular  name,  probably  because  it  is  confounded  in  the  popular 
mind  with  the  common  black  species,  which  will  be  presently 
described.  Its  name  is  more  appropriate  and  expressive  than 
is  generally  the  case  with  insect  names.  The  word  Greophilus 
is  of  Greek  origin,  and  signifies  '  flesh-lover,'  while  the  specific 
title  of  maxillosus  signifies  '  large-jawed.'  Both  names  show 
that  those  who  affixed  them  to  the  insect  were  thoroughly  ac- 
quainted with  its  character  and  form,  for  the  Beetle  is  a  most 
voracious  carrion  eater,  and  has  jaws  that  are  of  enormous  size 
in  proportion  to  its  body.  The  colour  of  this  Beetle  is  shining- 
black,  but  it  is  mottled  with  short  grey  down. 

In  some  places  this  Beetle  is  tolerably  plentiful, but  in  others  it 
is  seldom  if  ever  seen.  It  can  generally  be  captured  in  the  bodies 
of  moles  that  have  been  suspended  by  the  professional  mole- 
catchers — and,  indeed,  these  unfortunate  moles  are  absolute 
treasure-houses  for  the  coleopterist,  as  we  shall  see  when  we  come 
to  the  next  group  of  Beetles.  A  figure  of  this  insect  is  given  on 
Woodcut  No.  VIII.  Fig.  3.  It  is  the  only  British  species  of  its 
genus,  which  is  distinguished  by  having  short  and  thickened 
antennae,  smooth  head  and  thorax,  and  the  latter  rounded. 

Next  comes  a  Beetle  belonging  to  the  typical  genus  of  the 
family,  or,  indeed,  of  the  entire  group.  It  is  the  Eed  Rove 
Beetle  {Staphylinus  ccesareus),  which  is  represented  on 
Woodcut  VII.  Fig  c,  in  the  act  of  closing  its  wings  after  flight, 
and  on  Plate  IV.  Fig  3,  as  it  appears  when  flying. 

There  is  some  little  difficulty  respecting  the  name  of  Staphy- 
linus.    This   title    is    given  by   ancient  writers   to   two   very 


PLATE    IV. 
ROVE     BEETLES     AND     BURYING      BEETLES. 


1.  Boletobius  atricapillus, 

2.  Ocypus  olens  (eggs  below). 

3.  Staphylinus  csesareus. 

4.  Necrophorus  humator. 

5.  Necrophorus  vespillo. 

6.  Necrophorus  mortuorum. 

7.  Clioleva  angustata. 

8.  Hister  bimaculata. 

9.  Nitidula  depressa. 

10.  Boletobius  in  gills  of  Mushroom, 

11.  Necrophorus  huniator,  larva. 

12.  Silpha  thoracica,  larva. 

13.  Ocypus  olens,  larva. 

14.  Silpha  thoracica  (on  body  of  bird). 

Plant : — 

Edible  Mushroom  (Agaricus  campestris). 


DEVIL'S  COACH-HOESE.  77 

different  objects,  namely,  a  carrot  or  parsnip,  and  a  sort  of 
Beetle  that  gives  out  an  unpleasant  odour.  As,  however,  the 
insect  in  question  was  said  to  walk  about  with  its  tail  in  the 
air,  entomologists  have  considered  that  the  term  was  applied 
to  some  of  the  Brachelytra,  and,  rightly  or  wrongly,  the  name 
has  been  accepted  by  entomologists  of  all  countries.  The 
specific  name  ca'sareus,  given  to  this  insect,  is  in  allusion  to  its 
colour,  which  resembles  the  '  clotted-blood '  purple  of  Caesar's 
imperial  mantle. 

There  is  another  insect,  which  is  found  in  the  northern  part 
of  England,  and  which  very  much  resembles  this  species.  It 
is  the  Staphylinus  eirythroptenis,  or  Euddy-winged  Eove  Beetle, 
and  may  be  distinguished  by  the  fact  that  the  scutellum  is 
covered  with  gold-coloured  hair.  The  Beetle  is  tolerably  com- 
mon, and  in  the  summer-time  may  often  be  seen  on  the  wing, 
when  it  looks  something  like  a  reddish,  long-bodied  bee.  It  is 
fond  of  settling  on  gravel  walks  which  are  exposed  to  the 
heat  of  the  sunbeams,  partly  for  the  sake  of  the  warmth,  and 
partly  because  the  colour  of  the  gravel  harmonises  with  the 
ruddy  hue  of  its  body. 

Six  species  of  this  genus  inhabit  England.  The  genus  is 
distinguished  by  having  the  whole  of  the  body  nearly  smooth, 
the  thorax  squared,  and  the  antennse  slender 

Now  comes  an  insect  that  is  very  familiar  to  us,  the  Devil's 
Coach-horse,  as  it  is  popularly  and  fancifully  called.  Its 
scientific  name  is  Ocypiis  olens,  and  it  may  be  recognised  by  a 
glance  at  Fig.  2  on  Plate  IV.,  where  it  is  represented  in  the 
attitude  which  it  assumes  when  annoyed  or  when  thinking 
itself  in  danger. 

I  really  think  that  this  is  the  very  ugliest  insect  in  England. 
It  is  scarcely  so  repidsive  as  the  cockroach,  its  wonderful 
courage  and  spirit  being  redeeming  points,  but  it  is  so  very 
hideous,  that  the  popular  name  exactly  expresses  its  appear- 
ance. Its  colour  is  dull,  dead  black,  its  eyes,  which  scarcely 
project  from  the  head,  have  a  cold,  cruel  look  about  them,  and 
its  tail,  when  raised  menacingly  like  that  of  a  scorpion,  pro- 
trudes two  yellow  vesicles  at  the  tip,  from  which  emanates  the 
horrible  odour  that  has  been  already  mentioned.  Sometimes 
it  finds  its  way  into  cellars  and  larders,  if  they  be  wholly  or 


78  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

partially  underground ;  and  then  the  servants  are  always  much 
alarmed  at  the  creature,  of  which  they  have  a  dread  which  is 
superstitious  rather  than  the  offspring  of  mere  prejudice  or 
ignorance. 

As  its  appearance  suggests,  it  is  one  of  the  predacious  Beetles, 
and  is  as  fierce  and  brave  as  it  is  voracious.  It  really  seems  not 
to  know  what  fear  is,  and  no  enemy  seems  to  frighten  it.  I 
once  came  across  one  of  these  Beetles  at  the  foot  of  the  old  Clif- 
ton Baths  stairs  at  Margate,  and  threatened  it  with  the  point 
of  my  stick.  The  Beetle  at  once  dashed  at  the  stick  with  open 
jaws,  and  fought  most  valiantly.  Of  course  I  did  not  wish  to 
hurt  the  insect,  so  I  merely  continued  the  feigned  attack,  the 
Beetle  retreating  with  its  face  to  the  foe  and  its  jaws  wide 
open,  until  it  had  fairly  surmounted  the  whole  flight  of  stairs, 
invariably  turning  round  as  it  reached  the  top  of  each  stair,  and 
making  a  fresh  dash  at  the  stick.  It  was  exceedingly  angry, 
but  did  not  show  the  least  symptom  of  fear,  though  I  repeatedly 
struck  violently  within  a  few  inches  of  its  head.  I  was  so 
pleased  with  the  dauntless  coufage  of  the  Beetle,  that,  when  it 
reached  the  top,  I  put  it  into  a  deep  chalk  crevice  of  the  cliff, 
where  it  would  be  safe  from  the  mischievous  boys  who  infest 
the  place. 

This  is  one  of  the  most  active  of  Beetles.  Being  furnished, 
like  all  its  family,  with  long  and  ample  wings,  and  not  being 
burdened,  like  the  chafers,  with  a  thick  and  heavy  body,  it 
flies  with  great  rapidity,  and  can  pass  over  incredible  distances 
without  being  obliged  to  rest.  It  is  equally  active  on  the 
ground,  for  which  reason  the  generic  name  of  Ocypus,  or 
'  smft-footed,'  has  been  given  to  it.  Some  writers  on  entomo- 
logy have  given  to  this  insect  the  generic  name  of  GoeHus, 
or  '  moiu-nful,'  in  consequence  of  its  sombre  and  funereal 
colouring.  The  specific  title  olens,  or  '  stinking,'  is  given  to 
it  in  consequence  of  the  horrible  emanations  from  the  tail 
tubercles. 

We  will  now  glance  at  the  life  history  of  this  Beetle,  which, 
in  spite  of  its  ugliness,  is  really  a  very  interesting  one. 

The  eggs  of  all  the  Staphylinidse  are  large  in  proportion  to 
the  creature  which  produces  them,  but  those  of  the  Devil's 
Coach-horse  are  larger  than  those  of  the  largest  British  insect, 
being  one-tenth  of  an  inch  in  length  and  one-twelfth  broad. 


PUPiE  OF  THE  EOVB  BEETLES.  79 

A  group  of  these  eggs  is  shown  on  Plate  IV.,  just  below  the 
Beetle  itself. 

When  these  are  hatched  little  larvae  issue  from  them,  some- 
what similar  in  form  to  the  parent  insect,  though,  of  course, 
without  any  vestige  of  wings.  These  larvoe  are  quite  as  fierce 
as  the  perfect  insects,  and  much  more  voracious,  eating  being 
indeed,  as  with  all  larvae,  the  chief  business  of  their  lives. 
They  are  predacious,  and,  though  they  will  devom-  carrion  when 
they  can  procure  it,  will  attack  and  kill  any  insect  which  comes 
near  them,  not  even  sparing  their  own  kind.  They  have  an 
ingenioTis  mode  of  seizing  their  prey  in  the  soft  interval  be- 
tween the  head  and  neck,  and  then,  plunging  their  sharp  and 
curved  jaws  deeply  into  its  body,  suck  out  its  juices. 

These  larvae  can  be  found  throughout  the  spring,  and  may 
often  be  captured  by  digging  shallow  holes  in  the  ground  in 
some  sheltered  spot,  placing  a  piece  of  meat,  a  dead  bird  or 
frog,  in  the  hole,  and  covering  it  with  a  stone  so  as  to  protect 
it  from  the  elements,  but  leaving  space  for  the  ingress  and 
egress  of  the  Beetles.  Towards  the  end  of  spring  or  the  be- 
ginning of  summer,  the  larva  is  full  fed,  and  burrows  a  hole 
in  the  earth,  in  which  it  undergoes  the  change  to  the  perfect 
form. 

There  is  a  strange  peculiarity  about  the  pupae  of  these 
Beetles.  With  nearly  all  wing-bearing  Coleoptera,  the  wings 
are  folded  under  the  elytra,  even  though  the  latter  organs  be 
comparatively  short;  but,  in  the  pupae  of  these  curious 
Beetles,  the  wings  are  extended  beyond  the  elytra  and  fold  over 
the  breast,  so  that  two-thirds  of  their  length  is  seen  beyond 
the  elytra.  They  remain  in  the  pupal  state  for  a  fortnight  or 
three  weeks,  and  then  assume  the  perfect  form.  The  Beetle 
is  most  plentiful  in  the  autumn.  I  strongly  recommend  any 
of  my  readers  not  to  injure  this  Beetle,  repulsive  as  it  may  ap- 
pear. It  does  no  harm,  either  to  the  garden,  the  orchard,  or 
the  field,  but,  on  the  contrary,  from  its  inveterate  insect-eating 
habits,  rather  confers  a  benefit  on  the  agriculturist. 

Specimens  of  this  Beetle  should  always  be  set  so  as  to  show 
the  beautiful  wings ;  and  one  should  be  set  on  its  back,  in 
order  to  exhibit  the  peculiarities  of  the  under  side.  None  of 
the  Brachelytra  are  easy  insects  to  set  properly,  as  their  legs 
have  a  tendency  to  twist  themselves  in  the  wrong  direction,  or 


80  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

to  fall  off  altogetLer,  and  their  long  bodies  have  a  way  of 
shutting  up  like  the  joints  of  a  telescope,  so  that  the  end  of 
the  tail  only  comes  a  little  beyond  the  elytra,  thus  entirely 
altering  the  normal  shape  of  the  insect.  These  larger  Staphy- 
linidae,  however,  are  not  so  troublesome  as  the  smaller  genera, 
and  the  beginner  will  find  it  better  to  commence  with  them, 
and  then  proceed  to  the  smaller  kinds. 

There  are  eleven  British  species  of  this  genus,  which  is 
known  by  the  long  thread-like  antennae,  with  the  last  joint 
oblique  at  the  tip  and  the  large  head. 

Our  next  example  of  the  Staph ylinidpe  is  an  insect  of  much 
less  size  and  very  different  shape,  called  Philonthus  inarginatus, 
the  only  specimen  that  we  can  take  of  the  very  large  genus,  of 
which  forty-seven  British  species  are  acknowledged.  In  this 
genus  the  thorax  is  squared,  the  antennae  and  palpi  are  slender, 
and  there  is  a  strong  tooth  in  the  middle  of  each  mandible. 
The  antenna  of  this  genus  is  shown  on  Woodcut  No.  VIII.  Fig.  e, 
the  mandible,  with  its  central  tooth,  at  a,  and  the  labial  palpi 
at  e.  The  name  Philonthus  signifies  '  dung-loving,'  and  is 
given  to  this  genus  because  the  largest  and  most  conspicuous 
species  are  found  under  patches  of  cow  or  horsedung.  Some 
of  the  smaller  species,  however,  live  under  heaps  of  decaying 
sea-weed,  such  as  Philonthus  fucicola,  the  latter  term  signifying 
some  creature  that  inhabits  sea-weed.  The  present  species  is 
generally  to  be  found  under  dead  leaves. 

The  colour  of  this  little  Beetle  is  black,  but  the  legs  and 
the  margin  of  the  thorax  are  reddish-yellow,  a  peculiarity  from 
which  it  derives  its  specific  name  marginatus.  The  middle 
segments  of  the  abdomen  have  their  edges  yellow.  This  is  a 
very  curious  Beetle. 

The  family  of  the  Xantholinidse  may  be  distinguished  from 
the  Staphylinidse  by  the  position  of  the  antennae,  which  are 
inserted  before,  and  not  within,  the  base  of  the  mandibles,  and 
are  consequently  much  nearer  each  other  than  those  of  the 
preceding  family.  The  spiracles  of  the  prothorax  are  con- 
spicuous. The  middle  pair  of  legs  is  longer  than  the  others. 
They  are  nearly  all  black,  diversified  with  reddish-yellow,  and 
are  very  slender  bodied  ;  and,  in  consequence  of  these  charac- 


THE  RED-NECK.  81 

teristia^j  the  name  of  Xantholinidce,  or  '  yellow  threads,' ha'2 
been  given  to  them.  This  thread-like  form  allows  the  insects 
to  pack  themselves  up  into  a  very  small  space  ;  and  when  they 
are  reposing,  they  act  like  the  Hottentots,  and  double  themselves 
up  in  so  small  a  space  that  when  they  are  disturbed  and  unroll 
themselves,  it  is  really  sm-prising  to  see  how  the  insect  gra- 
dually developes  its  limbs  and  general  form. 

The  characteristics  of  the  genus  can  easily  be  seen  by  re- 
ference to  Woodcut  No.  VIII.  Fig.  5,  which  represents  a  com- 
mon and  pretty  species  called  Xantholinus  glabratus.  The 
head  is  long,  and  the  small  eyes  are  placed  well  in  the  front. 
There  is  a  small  cylindrical  neck,  and  the  thorax  is  marked 
with  bold  punctures,  which  afford  a  valuable  means  of  detect- 
ing the  various  species.  The  present  species  is  black,  with 
blood-red  elytra.  The  disc  of  the  thorax  has  four  distinct  rows 
of  very  large  punctures.  The  sides  of  the  head  and  thorax  are 
punctured,  and  the  whole  sm-face  is  glossy,  as  indeed  is  ex- 
pressed by  the  specific  name  glabratus,  which  signifies  smooth 
or  polished.     Eight  British  species  are  acknowledged. 

Another  family,  the  Psederidse,  now  comes  before  us.  In 
this  family  the  spiracles  of  the  prothorax  ary  invisible,  and  the 
antennsB  are  set  on  the  sides  of  the  very  front  of  the  head. 
The  maxillary  palpi  are  rather  long,  and  have  the  last  joint  so 
liny  that  it  scarcely  looks  like  a  joint.  The  left  maxilla  and 
its  palpus  are  shown  on  Woodcut  IX.  Fig.  /.  The  head  is 
attached  to  the  thorax  by  a  very  delicate  neck,  so  that  in  a  dried 
specimen  great  care  must  be  taken  lest  the  head  should  fall 
off.  In  some  species  there  is  a  definite  footstalk  connecting 
the  head  and  thorax  together. 

We  can  only  take  one  example  of  this  family,  namely,  the 
small  but  well-known  Beetle  called  by  entomologists  Stilicus 
fragilis,  a  figure  of  which  is  given  on  Woodcut  IX.  Fig.  1. 
In  this  genus,  of  which  there  are  seven  British  species,  the 
head  is  wide  and  rounded,  and  the  thorax  is  much  narrowed  in 
front.  The  curiously-toothed  mandible  is  shown  at  Fig.  c  of 
the  same  illustration. 

The  present  species  is  one  of  the  few  Brachelytra  that  has  a 
popular  name.  It  is  called  the  Eed-neck,  on  account  of  the 
bright-red  colom-  of  the  thorax.      Its  head  is  shining-black, 

G 


82 


INSECTS  AT  HOME. 


covered  with  very  small  punctures,  and  the  elytra  are  bluish- 
black  edged  with  red.  The  legs  are  light-red.  On  account  of 
the  extreme  tenuity  of  the  connection  between  the  head  and 
the  narrowed  thorax,  this  insect  is  apt  to  fall  to  pieces  in  the 
cabinet  if  the  drawer  containing  it  be  shut  with  a  jerk,  and  it 
has  therefore  obtained  the  specific  name  of  fragilis.     It  is  not 


1.  Stilicus  fragilis.  2.  Stenus  bimaculatus.  3.  Omalium  florale.  4.  Prognatha  qnadri- 
cornis.  5.  Micralymma  brevipenne.  a.  Stenus,  lipula.  b.  Stenns,  left  mandible.  c. 
Stilicus,  right  mandible.  d.  '  Prognatha,  maxillary  palpus.  e.  Prognatha,  labium.  /. 
Stilicus,  maxillary  palpus.        g.  Stenus,  maxiUary  palpus. 


a  very  common  insect,  but  is  spread  tolerably  widely,  and 
may  be  found  by  careful  searching  in  hotbeds  and  heaps  of 
decajdng  vegetable  matter. 

Other  species  of  this  curious  genus  can  be  found  by  looking 
in  the  proper  places.  Stilicus  geniculatus,  for  example,  in- 
habits chalky  districts,  and  Stilicus  orhiculatus  must  be  sought 
in  marshes. 


$ 

THE  STENIDiE   AND   OMALID^.  83 

Next  comes  the  family  of  the  Stenidae.  These  insects  may- 
be known  by  the  position  of  the  antennae,  which  are  generally 
set  between  the  eyes  or  on  the  front  margin  of  the  forehead. 
The  basal  joint  of  the  maxillary  palpi  is  long,  and  the  last  joint 
almost  imperceptible.     See  Fig.  g  on  Woodcut  IX. 

Sometimes  the  young  entomologist  is  much  puzzled  by  a 
phenomenon  which  takes  place  with  sundry  small  Beetles 
belonging  to  the  Brachelytra.  As  soon  as  they  are  killed  a 
long  and  slender  tongue-like  organ  darts  from  the  mouth,  and 
protrudes  itself  until  it  looks  like  a  proboscis.  These  Beetles 
belong  to  the  genus  Stenus,  of  which  we  have  an  example  in 
Stenus  biTnaculatus,  which  is  shown  on  Woodcut  IX.  Fig.  2. 
This  tongue-like  organ  is  in  fact  composed  of  the  ligula,  the  two 
paraglossse,  and  the  labial  palpi,  as  may  be  seen  by  reference  to 
the  same  illustration.  Fig.  a.  The  mandibles  of  this  genus 
are  strongly  formed,  having  one  very  large  tooth,  and  four 
very  small  teeth,  as  may  be  seen  at  Fig.  b.  The  fourth  joint 
of  the  tarsi  has  a  slightly  double  lobe.  The  long  and  slender 
maxillary  palpus  is  shown  at  g. 

The  present  species  is  black,  with  the  exception  of  a  round 
ta^vny  spot  on  each  elytron,  from  which  the  insect  has  derived 
its  specific  name  of  bimaculatus^  or  '  two-spotted.'  The  surface 
is  thickly  and  deeply  punctured,  and  is  covered  with  a  scanty 
whitish  down.  There  is  a  deep  furrow  along  the  middle  of  the 
thorax.  The  legs  are  tawny,  with  the  exception  of  the  knees 
and  tarsi,  which  are  black. 

This  is  a  very  common  and  very  good  example  of  the  genus, 
and  indeed  so  well  exhibits  the  characteristics  of  the  family 
that  it  is  worth  a  detailed  examination.  It  is  a  very  common 
insect,  being  found  all  over  England,  and  almost  always  to  be 
taken  on  the  banks  of  ponds  and  rivers  among  the  aquatic 
plants.  In  tolerably  warm  weather  it  may  be  taken  runnino- 
about  upon  the  stems  of  the  plants,  and  on  cold  days  lurkino- 
in  the  muddy  soil  about  their  roots.  Mr.  E.  A.  Smith,  to 
whom  I  am  indebted  for  much  information  concernino-  the 
smaller  Brachelytra,  tells  me  that  all  the  spotted  Steni  are 
found  in  the  wettest  situations.  This  genus  is  a  very  large  one 
containing  more  than  fifty  species. 

The  next  family  on  our  list  is  that  of.the  Omalidse.     In 


84  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

these  Beetles  the  spiracles  of  the  prothorax  are  hidden,  the 
antennae  are  set  on  the  sides  of  the  forehead,  and  the  maxillae 
have  a  horny  hook  at  the  tip  ;  and  there  are  two  ocelli,  or  simple 
eyes,  upon  the  back  of  the  head,  this  being  a  very  valuable  cha- 
racteristic in  arranging-  these  insects.  As  a  rule  the  Oma- 
lidse  have  flattened  bodies,  and  long  slender  antennae,  and 
delight  in  damp  places,  whether  wetted  by  fresh  or  salt  water  ; 
so  that  they  can  be  found  under  heaps  of  decaying  sea-weeds  on 
the  coasts,  and  under  stones  on  the  banks  of  ponds.  Some  of 
them,  may  be  found  under  bark,  and  some  in  flowers  ;  so  that 
they  have  a  very  wide  range  of  locality. 

Our  first  example  of  this  family,  Micralymma  brevipenne,  is 
remarkable  for  its  fondness  for  wet.  The  genus  is  known  by  its 
very  minute  elytra,  the  long  and  broad  abdomen,  and  the  long 
hairs  upon  the  tarsi.  A  figure  of  the  insect  is  given  on  Woodcut 
IX.  Fig.  5. 

The  colour  of  this  tiny  Beetle  is  shining-black,  and  it  may 
easily  be  recognised  by  its  size,  shape,  and  colour,  and  the  locality 
in  which  it  resides.  It  takes  up  its  abode  under  decaying  sea- 
weed, but  always  selects  a  spot  that  is  well  below  high-water 
mark ;  its  object  being,  apparently,  to  give  itself  a  chance  of 
being  drowned  or  carried  away  to  sea  twice  in  the  twenty-four 
hours.  It  remains  in  this  singular  locality  throughout  the  whole 
of  its  life,  and  contrives,  in  some  strange  way,  to  pass  through 
its  transformations,  subject  to  the  perpetual  washing  of  the 
waves. 

Another  example  of  the  same  family  is  shown  on  Woodciit 
IX.  Fig.  3,  its  name  being  Omalium  florale.  In  this  genus 
the  body  is  rather  oval  and  flattened.  The  antennae  are  short 
and  hairy,  becoming  thicker  at  the  tips.  The  thorax  is  short, 
somewhat  heart-shaped,  and  narrowed  behind.  The  four  basal 
joints  of  the  tarsi  are  short. 

The  species  which  serves  as  our  example  of  the  typical 
genus  is  greyish-black  and  shining,  the  surface  being  thickly 
punctured,  and  the  pimctures  inclined  to  form  striae  on  the 
elytra.  The  legs  are  reddish,  and  the  antennae  and  palpi  black. 
This  is  one  of  the  flower-loving  species,  being  found  in  the 
spring  time  frequenting  the  flowers  of  the  hawthorn  and  sallows. 
It  is  distributed  over  England  generally,  but  does  not  seem  to 


•THE  FOUE-HOKN.  85 

be  plentiful  in  any  particular  locality.     Twenty  British  species 
of  this  genus  are  known. 

We  have  only  space  for  one  more  example  of  the  Brachelytra : 
it  is  drawn  on  Woodcut  IX.  Fig.  4.  As  may  be  seen  by  re- 
ference to  the  illustration,  this  is  a  very  curious  insect.  It  is 
the  only  British  representation  of  the  family  to  which  it  be- 
longs, namely,  the  Piestidse.  In  this  family  the  spiracles  of 
the  prothorax  are  hidden,  the  coxae  of  the  front  legs  are  globular, 
and  those  of  the  hind  legs  transverse ;  there  are  five  joints  to 
the  tarsi,. and  the  last  segment  of  the  abdomen  is  very  small. 

The  genus  is  characterised  by  the  flat,  elongated  body,  the 
long  and  hairy  antenna,  the  long  elytra,  the  five-jointed  tarsi, 
and  the  horned  head  of  the  males.  The  maxillary  palpus  is 
shown  at  Fig.  d,  and  the  labium  at  e.  The  colour  of  this 
insect  is  shining-black.  The  elytra  have  four  strise,  and  on  the 
disc  is  an  oblique  mark  or  dash  of  reddish-brown,  the  outer 
angle  being  dusky.  The  tip  of  the  abdomen  is  chestnut,  and 
the  legs  and  antennse  red.  The  illustration  represents  a  male 
insect,  in  which  sex  the  sides  ^of  the  head  are  developed  into 
two  sharp  horns  pointing  forward.  The  mandibles  are  each 
furnished  with  a  large  horn.  This  very  remarkable  insect  is 
not  very  scarce,  and  may  be  found  under  the  bark  of  various 
trees.  Kensington  Gardens  is  a  good  locality  for  it,  where  it 
may  be  found  lurking  under  the  bark  of  elm-trees. 

The  scientific  name  of  this  Beetle  is  Progriatha  quadricomis, 
and  it  is  popularly  styled  the  Four-horn. 

I  MAY  here  mention  that  the  only  viviparous  Beetles  at 
present  known,  belong  to  the  Brachelytra.  They  are  about  one- 
tenth  of  an  inch  in  length,  and  are  found  parasitic  in  the  nests 
of  the  Brazilian  Termites  or  White-ants.  The  abdomen  is 
enormously  large,  and  is  turned  back  over  the  head,  like  the 
tail  of  a  squirrel. 


CHAPTER  VI. 
NECBOPHAGA. 

The  reader  will  probably  observe  that,  in  the  groups  of  insects 
which  have  already  been  described,  allusion  has  been  made  to 
the  analogies  between  them  and  certain  groups  of  vertebrates. 
The  Geodephaga,  for  example,  represent  the  land  Carnivora,  the 
Hydradephaga  those  of  the  water,  and  the  Brachel3ftra  represent 
in  some  degree  the  slender  and  lithe-bodied  weasels.  We  now 
come  to  a  group  which  takes  among-  insects  the  part  which  is 
played  among  the  higher  animals  by  the  hyenas  and  vultures, 
these  Beetles  being  the  scavengers  of  the  insect  world. 

The  name  Necrophaga,  i.e.  'carrion-eaters,'  which  dis- 
tinguishes this  group,  is  expressive  of  their  character.  By 
some  systematic  entomologists  they  are  called  Clavicornes,  or 
'  club-horned,'  because  their  antennae,  slender  at  the  base,  are 
expanded  at  their  tips  into  a  rounded  knob.  This  shape  of 
antenna  is  called  'clavate'  by  entomologists.  The  form  of  the 
antenna  is  an  admirable  characteristic  by  which  these  Beetles 
may  be  known.  There  is  no  palpus  on  the  inner  lobe  of  the 
maxilla,  the  scutellum  is  always  conspicuous,  and  the  elytra 
are  wide,  though  not  always  long.  Indeed,  in  many  species 
they  do  not  nearly  reach  the  end  of  the  abdomen,  and  are 
quite  as  short  as  those  of  many  Brachelytra.  In  such  cases 
they  are  generally  'truncate,'  i.e.  looking  as  if  they  had 
been  cut  off  square. 

This  is  the  case  with  the  first  family  of  Necrophaga,  the 
Silphidse.  The  mandibles  are  powerful,  as  is  required  for  the 
work  which  they  have  to  perform,  there  is  a  very  distinct  labrum, 
and  the  trochanters  of  the  hind  legs  are  projecting.  These  are 
again  subdivided  into  two  sub-families ;  the  first  being  called 
Silphina,  and  the  latter  Cholevina.    The  former  sub-family  may 


BURYING   BEETLES.  87 

be  known  by  the  fact  tliat  the  antennae  have  ten  joints,  and  a 
very  distinct  and  rounded  club.  Their  wings  are  very  large 
and  powerful,  as  is  needful  for  insects  whose  food  is  necessarily 
scattered  over  a  very  wide  area.  It  is  worthy  of  notice  that, 
when  they  are  flying,  their  elytra  are  carried  very  upright,  so 
that  their  backs  approach  quite  closely  to  each  other. 

The  first  genus  of  the  Silphida3  is  Xecrophorus,  a  word 
which  signifies  '  carrion-bearer,'  in  allusion  to  the  singular 
habits  possessed  by  all  the  Beetles  of  this  genus.  They  do  not 
content  themselves  with  merely  eating  tl.eir  food,  but  they 
bury  it,  and  then  lay  their  eggs  in  it,  so  that  it  serves  not  only 
as  a  feast  for  themselves,  but  as  a  provision  for  their  future 
young.  In  consequence  of  this  habit,  tliey  go  by  the  popular 
name  of  Burying,  or  Sexton  Beetles.  It  is  a  very  appropriate 
name,  for  there  is  scarcely  any  dead  animal  or  portion  of  an 
animal  which  they  will  not  contrive  to  bury;  and  if  it  be  too 
large  for  one  Beetle,  several  others  will  take  a  share  in  the 
work.  If  the  reader  will  refer  to  Plate  IV.,  he  will  see  that  a 
number  of  these  Beetles  are  engaged  in  burying  a  dead  bird. 

They  will  bury  birds,  frogs,  rabbits,  pieces  of  meat,  or  any- 
thing of  a  similar  kind,  and  do  it  with  wonderful  rapidity  ;  thus 
rendering  a  doubly  important  service,  by  removing  the 
decaying  animal  matter  from  the  surface  of  the  earth,  and 
helping  to  fertilise  the  ground  by  burying  it  below  the  sur- 
face. The  manner  in  which  these  Beetles  execute  so  difficult 
a  task  is  admirably  told  by  Mr.  E.  Newman,  in  his  '  Letters  of 
Kusticus :' — 

'  Two  days  after,  I  was  again  in  Godbold's ;  and  seeing  the 
bullfinch  lie  where  he  had  been  left,  I  lifted  him  up  by  the 
leg,  intending  to  make  a  present  of  him  to  a  fine  colony  of 
ants  established,  a  little  further  on,  in  the  days  of  General 
Oglethorpe,  and  which  had  maintained  their  station  ever  since. 
They  had  made  many  a  pretty  skeleton  for  me,  and  I  intended 
to  add  that  of  a  bullfinch  to  the  store;  but  the  buzz  of  a  Beetle 
round  my  head  caught  my  ear.  He  flew  smack  against  the  bull- 
finch, which  I  was  holding  up  ^j  the  leg,  and  fell  at  my  feet. 
I  knew  that  the  gentleman  was  a  Burying  Beetle ;  and  as  I  put 
the  bird  down  for  him,  he  soon  found  it,  mounted  upon  it,  and, 
after  much  examination,  opened  out  his  wing-cases  and  flew 
away.    I  will  profit  by  his  absence  to  tell  you  a  bit  of  his  history. 


88  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

'  The  Burying  Beetle  is  about  an  inch  in  length  ;  he  is  black, 
with  two  bands  across  his  back  of  a  bright-orange  colour : 
these  bauds  are  formed  by  two  blotches  of  that  colour  on  each 
of  the  wing-cases.  He  is  a  disgusting  creature  though  in  such 
a  gay  dress,  being  so  fetid  that  one's  hands  smell  for  hours 
after  handling  him ;  and  if  he  crawls  on  one's  coat,  or  other 
garments  not  often  washed,  the  smell  continues  for  days.  The 
whole  tribe  of  Burying  Beetles  lay  their  eggs  in  the  bodies  of 
dead  animals,  which,  when  possible,  they  bury  for  the  purpose. 
In  Eussia,  where  death  itself  does  not  do  away  with  distinc- 
tions, the  poor  people  are  buried  but  a  few  inches  under 
ground,  the  coffin  consisting  of  four  boards  roughly  nailed 
together,  and  not  particularly  well  fitted.  The  operation  of 
burying  is  often  at  the  expense  of  the  country,  and  therefore 
done  from  necessity,  not  love.  This  mode  affords  great  satis- 
faction to  the  Burying  Beetles,  as  it  saves  them  the  labours  of 
the  grave-digger.  They  avail  themselves  of  the  bodies  placed 
so  nicely  within  their  reach,  and  the  graves  are  pierced  with 
their  holes  in  every  direction.  At  evening,  hundreds  of  these 
Beetles  may  be  seen  in  the  Eussian  burying-places,  either 
buzzing  about  the  graves,  or  sitting  placidly  at  the  mouths  of 
their  burrows,  which  lead  into  them. 

'  The  Burying  Beetle  in  this  country  seldom  finds  so  con- 
venient a  provision  for  him,  and  he  is  under  the  necessity  of 
taking  much  more  trouble.  He  sometimes  avails  Jiimself  of 
dead  dogs  and  horses,  but  these  are  too  great  rarities  to  be  his 
constant  resort :  the  usual  objects  of  his  search  are  dead  mice, 
rats,  birds,  frogs,  and  moles ;  of  these,  a  bird  is  most  commonly 
obtained.  In  the  neighbourhood  of  towns,  every  kind  of  garbage 
that  is  thrown  out  attracts  these  Beetles  as  soon  as  it  begins  to 
smell ;  and  it  is  not  unusual  to  see  them  settling  in  our  streets, 
enticed  by  the  grateful  odour  of  such  substances. 

'  The  Burying  Beetles  hunt  in  couples,  male  and  female ; 
and  when  six  or  eight  are  found  in  a  large  animal,  they  are 
almost  sure  to  be  males  and  females  in  equal  numbers.  They 
hunt  by  scent  only,  the  chase  •being  mostly  performed  when 
no  other  sense  would  be  very  available — viz.  in  the  night. 
Wlien  they  have  found  a  bird,  great  comfort  is  expressed  by 
the  male,  who  wheels  roimd  and  round  above  it  like  an  eagle  ; 
the  female  settles  on  it  at  once,  without  this  testimonial  of 


BURYING   A  BULLFINCH.  89 

satisfaction.  The  male  at  last  settles  also,  and  tlie  bird  under- 
goes the  scrutiny  of  four  at  least  of  the  senses — touch,  smell, 
sight,  and  taste — for  their  lieads  are  continually  diving  among 
the  feathers  of  the  bird,  and  a  savoury  and  ample  meal  is 
made  before  the  great  work  is  begun.  After  the  Beetles  have 
appeased  the  calls  of  hunger,  the  bird  is  abandoned  for  a  while  ; 
they  both  leave  it  to  explore  the  earth  in  the  neighbourhood, 
and  ascertain  whether  the  place  is  suitable  for  interment.  If 
on  a  ploughed  field,  there  is  no  difficulty  ;  but  if  on  grass  or 
among  stones,  much  labour  is  required  to  draw  the  body  to  a 
more  suitable  place. 

'  The  operation  of  burying  is  performed  almost  entirely  by 
the  male  Beetle,  the  female  mostly  hiding  herself  in  the  body 
of  the  bird  about  to  be  buried,  or  sitting  quietly  upon  it,  and 
allowing  herself  to  be  buried  with  it.  The  male  begins  by 
digging  a  furrow  all  round  the  bird,  at  the  distance  of  about 
half  an  inch,  turning  the  earth  outside.  His  head  is  the  only 
tool  used  in  this  operation ;  it  is  held  sloping  outwards,  and 
is  exceedingly  powerful.  After  the  first  furrow  is  completed, 
another  is  made  within  it,  and  the  earth  is  thrown  into  the 
first  furrow ;  then  a  third  furrow  is  made,  which  being  under 
the  bird,  the  Beetle  is  out  of  sight.  Now  the  operation  can 
only  be  traced  by  the  heaving  of  the  earth,  which  soon  forms 
a  little  rampart  round  the  bird ;  as  the  earth  is  moved  from 
beneath,  and  the  surrounding  rampart  increases  in  height,  the 
bird  sinks.  After  incessant  labour  for  about  three  hours  the 
Beetle  emerges,  crawls  upon  the  bird,  and  takes  a  survey  of  his 
work.  If  the  female  is  on  the  bird,  she  is  driven  away  by  the 
male,  who  does  not  choose  to  be  intruded  on  during  the  im- 
portant business. 

'  The  male  Beetle  then  remains  for  about  an  hour  perfectly 
still,  does  not  stir  hand  or  foot ;  he  then  dismounts,  diving 
again  into  the  grave,  and  pulls  the  bird  down  by  the  feathers 
for  half  an  hour.  Its  own  weight  appears  to  sink  it  but  very 
little.  The  earth  then  begins  heaving  and  rising  all  round,  as 
though  iinder  the  influence  of  a  little  earthquake  ;  the  feathers 
of  the  bird  are  again  pulled,  and  again  the  bird  descends.  At 
last,  after  two  or  three  hours'  more  labour,  the  Beetle  comes 
up,  again  gets  on  the  bird,  and  again  takes  a  survey,  and  then 
drops  down  as  though  dead,  or   fallen  suddenly  fast  asleep. 


90  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

When  sufficiently  rested,  he  rouses  himself,  treads  the  bird 
firmly  into  its  grave,  pulls  it  by  the  feathers  this  way  and  that 
way,  and,  having  settled  it  to  his  mind,  begins  to  shovel  in 
the  earth.  This  is  done  in  a  very  short  time,  by  means  of  his 
broad  head.  He  goes  behind  the  rampart  of  earth,  and  pushes 
it  into  the  grave  with  amazing  strength  and  dexterity,  the 
head  being  bent  directly  downwards  at  first,  and  then  the  nose 
elevated  with  a  kind  of  jerk,  which  sends  the  earth  forwards. 
After  the  grave  is  thus  filled  up,  the  earth  is  trodden  in,  and 
undergoes  another  keen  scrutiny  all  round,  the  bird  being 
completely  hidden ;  the  Beetle  then  makes  a  hole  in  the  still 
loose  earth,  and,  having  buried  the  bird  and  his  own  bride,  next 
buries  himself.  The  female  lays  her  eggs  in  the  'carcase  of  the 
bird,  in  number  proportioned  to  its  size ;  and  after  this  opera- 
tion is  over,  and  the  pair  have  eaten  as  much  of  the  savoury 
viand  as  they  please,  they  make  their  way  out,  and  fly  away  in 
quest  of  further  adventures.' 

We  will  now  examine  these  insects  a  little  more  in  detail. 

On  Plate  IV.  Fig.  4,  is  seen  the  large  Kecrophorus  humator, 
■  just  by  the  head  of  the  bird.  This  is  a  large,  though  not 
brightly-coloured  species.  It  sometimes  exceeds  an  inch  in 
length,  and  its  colour  is  deep,  shining-black,  with  the  three 
last  joints  of  the  antennae  reddish-yellow.  The  fringe-like 
pads  of  the  tarsi  are  of  the  same  colour.  This  is  a  very  common 
species. 

Under  the  neck  of  the  bird  two  Burying  Beetles  are  seen 
forcing  their  way  beneath  it.  These  are  two  distinct  species, 
and  are  thus  given,  because  in  this  attitude  they  display  the 
distinguishing  marks  of  the  species.  The  Beetle  nearest  the 
bird's  beak  is  Necrophorus  onortuoruvi.  It  varies  in  size  from 
not  quite  half  to  three-quarters  of  rfQ  inch.  Its  colour  is 
black,  but  on  the  base  of  the  elytra  is  a  broad,  waved,  orange 
band,  and  at  the  apex  is  a  cui'ved  spot  of  the  same  colour. 
The  hinder  tibiae  are  straight,  and  the  club  of  the  antennae  is 
black.  This  is  also  a  common  species,  and  is  sometimes  found 
in  decaying  fungi,  as  well  as  in  animal  matter. 

Next  to  this  Beetle  is  a  rather  larger  species,  Necrophorus 
vespjillo^  which  is,  on  an  average,  nearly  a  quarter  of  an  inch 
longer  than  the  preceding  insect.     A  casual  observer  would 


ODOUR   OF  THE   BURYING  BEETLES.  91 

inevitably  believe  these  insects  to  be  of  the  same  species, 
especially  if  he  saw  them  apart.  The  practised  eye  of  the 
entomologist,  however,  at  once  detects  the  marks  of  difference. 
In  tlie  first  place,  the  hind  tibiae  are  not  straight,  but  much 
curved,  like  those  of  a  bow-legged  man,  and  the  club  of  the 
antennaj  is  orange.  There  is  also  a  narrow  line  of  golden 
down  on  the  front  of  the  thorax.  In  the  next  place,  there  is  a 
considerable  difference  in  the  orange  marks  'of  the  elytra, 
which  are  two  broad  waving  bands,  one  across  the  base,  and 
the  other  towards  the  apex,  both  being  connected  by  a  narrow 
band  of  the  same  colour  upon  the  margin.  This  species  is 
exceedingly  variable  in  size,  some  specimens  being  barely  half  an 
inch  in  length,  while  others  attain  the  length  of  an  inch.  It 
is  very  common  in  all  parts  of  England.  The  specific  name 
vespillo  is  Latin,  and  signifies  a  man  who  carried  out  the  dead 
for  burial  at  night. 

The  reader  may  as  well  be  warned  that,  although  these 
Beetles  are  very  pretty  to  the  eye,  they  are  not  equally  pleasing 
to  the  nostril,  being  in  the'habit  of  sending  from  their  mouth 
a  horribly  fetid  black  fluid,  the  odour  of  which  is  as  endurino- 
as  it  is  disgusting.  This  fluid  is  jDrobably  produced  by  the 
putrid  nature  of  its  food,  for  Beetles  which  have  recently 
changed  from  the  pupal  form,  and  those  which  have  fasted  for 
some  time,  do  not  possess  it. 

We  will  now  trace  the  progress  of  the  insect  from  the  eo-o- 
to  the  perfect  Beetle. 

Soon  after  they  are  deposited,  the  eggs  are  hatched ;  the 
larvae  being  rather  long,  fleshy,  narrowed  at  each  end,  and 
having  the  segments,  or  rings,  of  the  body  very  distinctly 
marked.  The  legs  are  very  tiny,  and  much  too  small  to  move 
the  large,  heavy  body.  A  curious  substitute  for  legs  is,  how- 
ever, found.  On  the  upper  surface  of  each  segment  is  a  horny 
plate,  with  strongly-toothed  edges.  By  alternately  elongating 
and  shortening  its  body,  the  creature  is  able  to  force  its  way 
through  the  soft  material  on  which  it  feeds,  just  as  a  snake 
glides  upon  the  ground,  or  the  worm  beneath  it.  One  of  these 
larvse,  a  very  young  one,  is  shown  on  Plate  IV.  Fig.  11. 

When  the  larva  has  attained  the  length  of  an  inch  and  a 
half,  and  is  full-fed,  it  prepares  for  its  change  into  the  pupal 
state.     This  it  does  by  ceasing  to  feed,  and  making  for  itself  a 


92 


INSECTS  AT  HOME. 


sort  of  cell  or  cocoon  under  the  ground,  in  which  it  casts  off 
its  larva  skin,  and  becomes  a  rather  odd-looking  pupa,  having 
the  end  of  its  tail  armed  with  two  sharp  spines,  by  means  of 
which  it  is  able  to  turn  itself  about  in  its  cell,  from  which 
it  emerges,  in  the  spring,  a  perfect  Beetle. 


1.  Necrodes  littoralis.  2,  Scydmrenns  tarsatus.  3.  Anisotoma  cinnamomea,  male.  4. 
Agathidium  lajvigatum.  5.  Meligethes  feneus.  a.  Scydma>nus,  antenna.  b.  Meligethes, 
maxilla.  c.  Anisotoma,  labial  palpi.  d.  Necrodes.  maxillary  palpus.  e,  Kecrodes,  la- 
bium.       /.  Necrodes,  antenna.       g.  Anisotoma,  antenna. 


On  Woodcut  No.  X.  Fig.  1,  is  a  Beetle  which  is  closely 
allied  to  the  preceding  genus,  but  can  at  once  be  distinguished 
by  the  shape  of  the  antennas,  the  club  of  which  is  egg-shaped, 
and  not  globular,  and  by  the  shape  of  the  elytra,  which  gra- 
dually increase  in  width  from  the  base  to  the  apex,  where  they 
are  abruptly  truncated.  Its  name  is  Necrodes  littoralis.  The 
reader  will  notice  the  great  size  of  the  femora  (or  thighs)  of 
the  hind  pair  of  legs.     This  is  a  sign  that  the  specimen  from 


THE  SILPHAS  AND  THEIR  HISTORY.  03 

which  it  was  drawn  was  a  male.  The  colour  of  the  Beetle  is 
black,  the  three  last  joints  of  the  antennae  being  reddish- 
yellow.  Each  of  the  elytra  has  three  smooth  ridges  running 
down  its  complete  length,  and  a  short  one  at  the  base  between 
the  second  and  third  ridges.  Between  the  second  and  third 
ridges  there  is  a  bold  elevated  tubercle,  the  second  ridge  bend- 
ing towards  it  and  then  bending  back  to  its  course.  Beneath, 
the  body  is  glossy-black. 

Though  not  so  plentiful  as  the  preceding  insects,  this  is  not 
a  rare  Beetle,  and  can  be  found  in  carrion,  or  under  decaying 
sea-weeds.  I  have  knocked  it  out  of  suspended  moles.  The 
antenna  of  this  Beetle  is  shown  on  the  same  illustration. 
Fig./,  the  maxillary  palpus  at  cZ,  and  the  labium  at  e.  A 
favourite  resort  for  this  Beetle  is  the  bank  of  a  river,  or  the 
sea-shore,  and  on  this  account  it  has  received  its  specific  title 
of  littoralis.     This  is  the  only  British  species. 

The  genus  Silpha  is  known  by  the  flattened  body,  the 
antennae  being  less  boldly  clubbed,  and  having  eleven  joints 
instead  of  ten.  There  are  thirteen  species  inhabiting  England, 
and  they  are  all  much  smaller  than  the  members  of  the  pre- 
ceding genera.  Upon  Plate  IV.  is  shown  the  handsomest  of 
the  British  Silphae,  namely,  Silpha  thoracica.  It  is  represented 
as  crawling  over  the  body  of  the  bird.  This  fine  insect  is 
readily  known  by  its  colouring.  The  head  is  black,  and  the 
thorax  is  brick-red,  covered  with  a  vejy  short  golden  down, 
and  much  crumpled.  The  elytra  are  very  much  like  those  of 
the  preceding  insect,  being  black,  and  traversed  longitudinally 
by  three  ridges,  the  second  and  third  of  which  are  connected 
by  a  raised  tubercle.  The  surface,  however,  is  more  satiny 
than  that  of  Necrodes,  and,  when  viewed  with  a  magnifying 
lens  and  a  strong  light,  the  space  between  the  ridges  is  change- 
able in  patches,  like  '  moire '  silk,  and  there  are  short  ridges  at 
the  base  of  the  elytra. 

The  larvae  of  all  the  Silphas  are  very  different  from  those  of 
Necrophorus.  Instead  of  being  sluggish,  fat,  long-bodied  grubs, 
they  are  active,  flat,  and  wide,  running  about  »-ith  wonderful 
velocity.  A  heap  of  old  marrow  bones  is  a  very  favomite 
haiuit  of  these  larvae,  and,  if  the  bones  are  tapped  so  as  to 
disturb  without  hurting  their  inmates,  it  is  wonderful  to  see 


94  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

how  the  flat,  black  larvae  come  scurrying  out,  looking  very 
much  like  black  wood-lice,  and  perfectly  well  able  to  take  care 
of  themselves  ;  while  the  larvae  of  Necrophorus  are  utterly  help- 
less on  the  surface  of  the  ground. 

Silphoe  may  be  found  in  much  the  same  localities  as  the 
preceding  insects.  The  best  places  to  find  them  are,  however, 
the  moles  that  are  too  often  seen  suspended  on  twigs,  and  the 
more  moles  there  are  near  each  other,  the  richer  will  be  the 
harvest  of  Silphoe.  I  have  found  that  ten  moles  on  one  branch 
contain  many  more  Silphoe  than  double  the  number  scattered 
over  a  wide  area. 

But,  the  '  happy  hunting  grounds '  of  any  entomologist  who 
is  looking  after  Necrophaga  are  the  'keepers'  trees,'  those 
monuments  of  misguided  energy.  The  best  keepers'  trees,  in 
an  entomological  point  of  view,  are  those  of  the  New  Forest,  and 
on  them  are  found  the  carcases  of  owls,  weasels,  stoats,  hawks, 
magpies,  ravens,  and  now  and  then  a  rare  bird  or  two,  such  as 
the  honey-buzzard.  The  suspended  carcases  look  quiet  enough, 
but  when  the  net  is  held  under  one  of  them,  and  a  series  of 
taps  administered,  it  is  wonderful  to  see  how  it  swarms  with 
animal  life.  First,  out  come  Beetles  of  various  kinds,  some 
trying  to  fly  away  as  soon  as  they  reach  the  open  air,  but  most 
letting  themselves  fall  into  the  net.  Next  comes  a  whole 
swarm  of  larvse,  and,  when  the  bird  is  a  large  one,  it  really 
seems  as  if  the  creatures  never  would  cease  from  pouring  out. 
Those  who  wish  to  collect  and  watch  the  habits  of  these 
Beetles  cannot  do  better  than  make  a  preserve  for  them  by 
hanging  up  the  body  of  a  rabbit,  a  pujDpy,  a  kitten,  or  some 
such  creature,  so  that  it  may  be  within  the  reach  of  the  eye, 
and  out  of  the  reach  of  any  except  winged  devourers. 

The  word  S'tlpha  is  Greek,  and  signifies  an  ill-smelling 
insect,  but  the  nomenclature  of  the  ancient  writers  is  so  uncer- 
tain that  we  cannot  absolutely  identify  the  name  with  the 
insect.  The  specific  name  thoracica  refers  to  the  very  con- 
spicuous coloiir  and  the  large  size  of  the  thorax.  The  larva 
of  this  Beetle  is  shown  on  Plate  IV.  Fig.  12,  first  ajDpearing 
from  under  tl^  wing  of  the  bird. 

The  sub-family  of  the  Cholevina  are  known  by  their  nar- 
rower bodies,  and  their  heads  being  sunk  in  the  thorax.     One 


.  t 


INFLUENCE   OF   LIGHT   ON   COLOUR.  95 

of  these^  Beetles,  belonging  to  the  typical  genus,  is  drawn  on 
Plate  IV.  Fig.  7,  and  is  shown  as  crawling  on  the  top  of  one  of 
the  mushrooms.     Its  name  is  Choleva  angustafa. 

The  genus,  of  which  tliere  are  seventeen  British  species,  is 
known  by  its  narrow  body,  its  long  and  slender  legs  and 
antennjB,  the  very  obtuse  hinder  angles  of  the  thorax,  and  the 
oval  and  striated  elytra.  The  insect  is  represented  of  its  natural 
size,  which  seldom  varies  much  from  one-sixth  of  an  inch  in 
length.  The  head  is  black  and  shining,  the  thorax  is  pitchy- 
black,  becoming  greyish  at  the  margins  and  posterior  angles. 
The  elytra  are  rather  variable  in  colour,  black  being  the  lead- 
ing hue,  but  taking  shades  of  red  or  grey  according  to  the 
individual.  The  apex  is  round  and  short,  and  each  elytron  is 
marked  with  seven  faint  striae.  The  legs  are  pale  reddish- 
yellow.  The  body  is  covered  with  a  very  hue  and  very  short 
yellowish  down. 

It  is  not  uncommon  to  take  a  specimen  that  is  pale  rusty- 
red  or  yellow,  the  reason  for  this  paler  hue  being  that  the 
Beetle  has  only  recently  emerged  frour  the  pupal  state,  or  that 
the  atmosphere  has  not  exercised  its  full  influence  upon  it. 
When  it  has  been  exposed  for  a  few  days  to  the  air  and  light, 
the  reddish-yellow  will  change  to  the  dark-red  or  grey-black 
which  is  the  usual  colour  of  the  Beetle. 

Next  comes  the  family  of  the  Scydmcenidce,  of  which  we 
shall  take  one  example,  namely,  Scydmcenus  [Eumicrus] 
tarsatus,  which  is  sho^vn  on  Woodcut  X.  Fig.  2.  These  insects 
are  all  very  minute,  the  present  species,  though  only  the  twelfth 
of  an  inch  in  length,  being  the  largest  of  the  family.  They 
are  all  covered  with  down,  are  without  wings,  and  have  the 
elytra  coming  completely  to  the  end  of  the  abdomen.  The  facets 
of  the  eyes  are  very  boldly  marked,  and  the  peculiar  form  of  the 
antennae,  which  are  terminated  with  three  very  large  joints, 
each  increasing  in  size,  may  be  seen  by  reference  to  the  same' 
•  illustration.  Fig.  a.  The  maxillary  palpi  are  very  conspi- 
cuous. 

The  head  and  thorax  of  this  species  are  black,  and  the  elytra 
are  very  deep  chestnut.  Like  the  rest  of  its  kin,  it  is  to  be 
found  in  hotbeds,  leaf-heaps,  cucumber  frames,  and  similar 
localities.  The  name  Scydmwnus  is  Greek,  and  .signifies  '  sullen.' 


96  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

The  family  of  the  Anisotomidae  is  known  from  the  Silphidse 
by  several  points  of  structure,  none  of  them  being  singly  very 
conspicuous,  but  not  to  be  mistaken  in  the  aggregate.  They 
are  much  more  globular,  the  Silphida3  being  flattened ;  the  legs 
and  antennae  are  short,  and  the  mandibles  have  a  single  tooth  at 
the  base.  Like  the  preceding  family,  these  are  small  insects, 
the  largest  being  Anisotoma  cinnamomea,  which  is  shown  on 
Woodcut  X.  Fig.  3.  This  Beetle  is  about  one-sixth  of  an  inch 
in  length.  In  this  genus  the  tarsi  of  the  first  and  middle  pairs 
of  legs  have  five  joints,  while  those  of  the  hinder  pair  have  but 
four  joints.  The  club  of  the  antennae  has  three  joints,  as  may 
be  seen  at  Fig.  g  of  the  same  illustration.  The  structure  of 
the  labial  palpi  is  shown  at  c.  The  generic  title  Anisotoma 
is  derived  from  a  Greek  word  signifying  unequal,  and  has  been 
given  to  these  Beetles  in  consequence  of  the  inequality  of  the 
joints  of  the  front  and  hind  tarsi. 

The  specific  name  cinnamo'nxea  refers  to  the  colour  of  the 
insect,  which  is  very  much  like  that  of  cinnamon,  with  the 
exception  of  the  club  of  the  antenna,  which  is  black.  There 
are  eight  punctured  striae  on  each  of  the  elytra.  The  hinder 
tibiae  are  very  long  and  boldly  curved  in  the  male,  but  not  in 
the  female  insect,  which  has  them  small  and  straight.  This 
•  Beetle  is  found  chiefly  upon  the  truffle.  There  are  twelve  or- 
thirteen  species  of  this  genus. 

Another  member  of  this  family  is  shown  ou  Woodcut  X. 
Fig.  4.     Its  name  is  Agathidium  Icevigatum. 

In  this  genus  the  antennae  are  short,  and  the  club  is  egg- 
shaped  and  composed  of  three  joints.  The  thorax  is  large  and 
round,  and  with  overhanging  sides,  and  the  body  is  very  globu- 
lar. All  the  tarsi  have  four  joints.  The  present  species  is  smooth 
shining-black,  with  the  exception  of  the  lateral  and  posterior 
margins  of  the  thorax,  which  are  edged  with  a  narrow  line  of 
rust-red.  The  elytra  are  not  striated.  Like  all  the  members  of 
the  genus,  this  insect  has  a  habit  of  rolling  itself  into  a  ball 
when  alarmed,  so  that  it  looks  more  like  a  very  small  shot  than 
an  insect.  It  inhabits  fungi  and  decaying  wood,  dead  leaves, 
and  similar  localities.  It  can  be  best  obtained  by  taking  up 
handfuls  of  dead  leaves  from  under  hedges,  and  shaking  them 
over  paper,  when  the  Agathidia  will  appear  like  little  black 
beads. 


THE  MIMIC  BEETLES.  97 

They  will  not  stir  for  a  long  time,  unless  the  snn  be  shining 
powerfully  on  the  paper. 

The  important  family  of  the  Histeridoe  now  comes  before  us. 
These  are  flattish  square-bodied  Beetles,  with  a  sort  of  steely 
look  about  them,  and  as  hard  to  the  touch  as  if  their  elytra 
were  veritable  pieces  of  plate  armour.  It  is  no  easy  task  to 
get  a  fine  entomological  pin  through  these  creatures,  the  pin 
either  bending,  or  its  point  repeatedly  slipping  off  the  hard 
and  polished  surface  of  the  Beetle  in  a  manner  calculated  to 
injure  the  temper  as  well  as  the  pin.  I  always  used  to  keep 
by  me  a  rather  fine  needle  fixed  in  a  handle,  and  projecting 
about  one-third  of  an  inch,  so  that  I  could  pierce  the  hard 
elytra  with  the  steel  point,  and  then  introduce  the  pin.  This 
needle  was  useful  in  setting  many  other  hard-bodied  Beetles, 
especially  some  of  the  weevils- 

These  hard  and  glossy  elytra  are  much  shorter  than  the 
body,  and  abruptly  truncated  ;  but  below  them  may  be  seen 
a  beautiful  and  wide  pair  of  wings  packed  away  with  wonderful 
neatness.  The  basal  joint  of  the  antennae  is  very  long,  and  the 
club  is  boldly  marked,  the  three  last  joints  being  almost  fused 
into  a  globular  and  velvety  knob.  The  generic  name  of  Hister 
is  derived  from  a  Latin  word  signifying  an  actor  or  a  mimic, 
and  is  given  to  these  Beetles  on  account  of  their  habit  of 
simulating  death  when  alarmed.  The  popular  name  of  Mimic 
Beetles  is  often  given  to  them  by  entomologists. 

On  Plate  IV.  Fig.  8,  may  be  seen  one  of  the  handsomest 
species  of  this  genus,  namely,  the  Four  Spot  Mimic  Beetle 
{Hister  quadrimaculatus).  The  colour  of  this  insect  is  black, 
but  on  each  elytron  is  a  large  C-shaped  red  mark  reaching  from 
the  base  nearly  to  the  apex.  This  mark  is  often  divided  in  the 
middle,  so  as  to  produce  the  effect  of  four  red  spots  on  the 
back.  A  narrower  line  of  the  same  colour  mostly  runs  along 
the  margin  ;  but  this,  like  in  many  other  Beetles,  is  apt  to  be 
exceedingly  variable  in  the  arrangement  of  its  colouring. 

This,  together  with  the  rest  of  the  genus,  can  be  found  in  or 
under  decaying  animal  matter,  patches  of  cowdung  being 
favourite  resorts.  The  pertinacity  with  which  these  insects 
will  feign  death  when  captured  is  most  remarkable,  for  they 
will  endure  almost  any  amount  of   rough  handling   without 

H 


98  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

giving  the  least  signs  of  life,  the  legs  being  folded  flatly  under 
the  body  so  that  they  are  scarcely  visible.  Indeed,  I  scarcely, 
know  whether  they  or  the  Pill  Beetles,  which  will  presently  be 
described,  are  the  most  obstinate  in  this  respect. 

The  larvse  of  the  Mimic  Beetles  are  also  to  be  found  in  cow- 
dung,  and  are  not  in  the  least  like  their  parents,  being  long- 
bodied,  cylindrical,  whitish  in  colour,  with  two  forked  appendages 
at  the  tail.  Some  species  prefer  dead  animals,  and  may  be  found 
in  the  moles  to  which  reference  has  already  been  made.  About 
fourteen  British  species  of  Hister  are  known ;  and  the  young 
entomologist  will  find  that,  owing  to  variations  of  colour,  he 
will  often  be  rather  perplexed  to  determine  the  exact  species 
of  some  new  capture. 

With  great  reluctance  I  am  obliged  to  omit  several  genera, 
and  must  proceed  at  once  to  the  next  family,  the  Mtidulidae. 
The  Beetles  of  this  family  have  short  clubbed  antenna;.  The 
head  is  sunk  in  the  thorax  as  far  as  the  eyes,  and  the  mandi- 
bles are  notched  a,t  the  tip  ;  the  thorax  is  rather  square,  and 
the  tarsi  have  five  joints.  The  body  is  flattened.  The  little 
Beetles  which  are  found  in  such  numbers  in  flowers,  and  have 
such  shining  bodies,  mostly  belong  to  this  family,  to  which 
the  name  of  Kitidididce  has  been  given  on  accotmt  of  their 
glittering  bodies. 

The  typical  sub-family,  the  Nitidulina,  are  known  by  the 
length  of  the  elytra,  which  reach  to  the  last  joint  of  the 
abdomen,  and  the  shape  of  the  thorax,  which  does  not  cover  the 
base  of  the  elytra.  One  of  these  insects,  Nitidida  [Omosita] 
depressa,  is  shown  at  Fig.  9  on  Plate  IV.,  and  is  represented  as 
crawling  up  the  stem  of  the  central  mtishroom. 

The  body  of  this  Beetle  is  oval,  and,  as  may  be  inferred  from 
its  name,  is  much  flattened.  Its  colour  is  rusty-brown,  and  the 
surface  is  thickly  punctured.  Upon  the  elytra  are  some  faint 
oblong  black  streaks,  and  a  curved  mark  of  paler  hue  than  the 
rest  of  the  body.  This  is  a  very  plentiful  species,  and  may 
be  foimd  in  fungi,  as  represented  on  the  plate,  under  the  bark 
of  trees,  and  even  in  old  bones. 

The  larva;  of  these  Beetles  feed  on  various  substances,  chiefly 
on  decaying  vegetable  matter.  One  of  them,  for  example, 
Nitidida  yriaea,  is  found  about  the  burrows  made  by  willow- 


MODE  OF   DETERMINING  SPECIES.  99 

feeding  caterpillars.  It  is  a  whitish  grub,  thick  towards  the 
shoulder  and  tapering  to  the  head  and  tail.  The  segments  are 
very  distinctly  marked,  and  the  last  segment  is  armed  with  two 
hook-like  appendages  curving  upwards.  When  it  is  about  to 
change  to  the  pupal  form,  it  descends  the  trunk  of  tlie  tree, 
and  hides  itself  in  the  moist  earth  about  the  roots  ;  and  after  it 
has  obtained  its  perfect  form,  it  is  generally  to  be  found  in  the 
crevices  of  the  bark. 

On  Woodcut  X.  Fig.  5,  is  shown  another  of  these  Beetles, 
Meligethes  census.  This  genus  is  known  by  the  squared  and 
metallic  body,  the  long  elytra,  and  the  third  joint  of  the 
antennae,  exactly  as  long  as  the  fourth  and  iifth  together.  The 
form  of  the  maxilla  is  shown  on  the  same  illustration  at 
Fig.  b.  All  the  Beetles  of  this  genus  are  very  small,  and  are 
invariably  to  be  found  in  flowers,  creeping  from  their  hiding 
places  under  the  petals  when  the  flower  is  gathered  or  shaken. 
Being  very  minute  insects,  a  careful  examination  with  a  some- 
what powerful  lens  is  needed  to  distinguish  the  species,  and, 
even  then,  the  little  creatures  are  so  like  each  other  in  size 
and  colour,  that  the  entomologist  is  obliged  to  abandon  the 
usual  mode  of  determining  species,  and  to  trust  to  the  number 
of  notches  in  the  tibiae  of  the  first  pair  of  legs. 

This  species  is  variable  in  colour,  being  blue-black,  violet, 
or  dark  green-blue,  over  which  is  a  sort  of  brassy  gloss.  It 
seldom  exceeds  the  twelfth  of  an  inch  in  length,  and  is  a  very 
good  example  of  its  genus.  It  is  plentiful  throughout  Eng- 
land. 

Still  keeping  to  the  same  family,  we  take  another  of  the 
sub-families,  the  Ipsina,  which  have  the  front  of  the  head 
lengthened  and  covering  the  labrum,  the  fom'th  joint  of  the 
tarsus  being  very  minute.  Our  first  example  of  these  insects  is 
Rhizophagus  ferrugineus,  which  is  shown  on  Woodcut  XI. 
Fig.  1.  These  Beetles  have  much  narrower  bodies  than  the 
preceding,  the  antennae  are  short  and  boldly  clubbed,  with 
a  large  basal  joint.  The  head  is  not  sunk  in  the  thorax, 
and  the  elytra  are  not  so  long  as  the  abdomen.  They  are 
mostly  to  be  found  under  the  bark  of  trees,  but  some  are 
fond  of  inhabiting  old  bones,  and  are  even  parasitic  in  ants' 

H  2 


100 


INSECTS   AT   HOME. 


nests.  The  name  Rhizophagus  signifies  '  root-eating,'  and 
there  are  about  ten  British  species.  Though  they  are  for  the 
most  part  vegetable-feeders,  some  at  least  of  the  species  are 
known  to  be  carnivorous,  and  have  been  detected  in  eating  the 
larvse  of  other  bark-feeding  Beetles  belonging  to  the  genus 
Hylesinus. 

AT. 


1.  Rhizopbagns  femigineus.        2.  Colydium  elongatiim.       3.  Anommatus  dnodecim-striatns. 
4.   Cryptophagua    pilosus.         5.   Mycetophagus   quadripustulatus.  6.    Dermestes   muvinns. 

«.  Khizophagus,  antenna.  b.  Colydium,  antenna.  c.  Anommatus,  antenna.  rf.  Der- 
mestes, pupa.  e.  Colydium,  larva.  /.  Dermestes,  larva.  g.  Cryptophagus,  antenna, 
h.  Mycetophagus,  antenna.         i.  Dermestes,  antenna. 

The  colour  of  this  species  is  smooth  shining  rust-red,  some- 
times deepening  into  reddish-black.  There  is  a  pit  on  either 
side  of  the  head,  the  elytra  are  thickly  punctured  and  striated, 
and  beneath  it  is  rust-red.  This  Beetle  has  been  chosen 
because  it  is  the  largest  of  the  genus,  sometimes  exceeding 
one-sixth  of  an  inch  in  length.  The  rather  peculiar  antenna 
of  this  genus  is  shown  at  Fig.  a  of  the  same  woodcut. 


THE   BLIND  BEETLE.  101 

The  family  of  the  Colydiidae  have  the  antennge  nearly  straight, 
and  not  bowed  as  in  the  preceding  family,  and  the  tarsi  are 
four-jointed.  Most  of  them  are  found  in  wood,  but  they  may 
be  found  among  grass  heaps,  in  sandy  places,  and  other  localities. 
One  of  the  most  curious  examples  of  this  family  is  the  insect 
which  is  represented  on  Woodcut  XI.  Fig.  2,  and  called  by  the 
name  of  Colydium  elongatum.  A  glance  at  the  figure  will 
show  the  appropriateness  of  this  name,  the  whole  body,  and 
especially  the  abdomen  and  elytra,  being  elongated  in  a  most 
extraordinary  manner,  really  looking  as  if  the  Beetle  had  been 
drawn  out  like  wire.  The  colour  of  this  curious  Beetle  is 
smooth  shining-black,  the  elytra  being  reddish  at  the  base,  and 
deepening  into  black  at  the  apex,  near  which  is  an  oval  reddish 
spot,  varying  in  colour  and  size  in  different  specimens.  This 
insect  lives  chiefly  in  the  burrows  of  wood-eating  Beetles, 
especially  those  of  Sinodendron  or  Hylesinus,  and  therefore 
is  so  seldom  seen  that  it  is  considered  a  valuable  addition  to 
the  cabinet.  But,  when  one  of  its  haunts  is  detected,  a  number 
of  the  Beetles  can  generally  be  found.  Mr.  Ingall,  for  example, 
took  a  quantity  of  these  insects  out  of  an  old  elm  rail  near 
Sydenham.  By  some  authors  the  generic  name  of  Nemosoma 
is  prefixed  to  this  Beetle.  This  is  a  very  appropriate  name, 
signifying  '  thread-bodied.'  It  is  the  only  British  species  of 
its  genus. 

The  larva  of  this  Beetle  is  shown  at  Fig.  e  on  the  same 
woodcu-t.  Mr.  Westwood  went  to  visit  the  elm  rails  at  Syden- 
ham, and  there  succeeded  in  procuring  many  examples  of 
larvae  and  perfect  insects.  He  remarked  that  the  perfect 
insects  were  sluggish  during  the  day,  but  that  at  night  they 
became  more  active,  trying  to  bite  each  other  if  they  met. 
The  larvae,  like  many  other  creatures  which  inhabit  burrows, 
can  run  backwards  as  easily  as  they  can  forwards,  and  this 
they  do  by  means  of  a  clasper  on  the  end  of  the  body.  They 
are  sluggish  except  when  excited,  and  then  move  about  very 
much  after  the  manner  of  the  Rove  Beetles,  moving  their 
head  from  side  to  side,  and  opening  their  strong  jaws  as 
if  in  menace. 

Another  member  of  this  family  is  remarkable  for  being 
without  eyes.     This  is  AnoTwmatua  duodecim-striatus,  which 


102  '      INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

is  shown  on  Woodcut  XI.  Fig.  3.  It  is  the  only  British  species 
of  its  genus.  This  tiny  Beetle  is  about  the  fourteenth  of  an 
inch  in  length,  and  may  be  fovind  in  stores  of  flour  and  rice, 
especially  the  latter,  from  which  fact  some  entomologists  infer 
that  it  has  been  imported  into  England,  and  is  not  an  indigenous 
British  species.  Its  colour  is  warm-chestnut,  and  its  body 
is  very  smooth  and  shiniog,  but  deeply  punctured,  and  the 
elytra  are  regularly  striated.  The  generic  title  Anommatus 
signifies  '  eyeless,'  and  is  given  to  the  insect  in  consequence 
of  the  entire  absence  of  eyes,  so  that  it  really  deserves  the 
name  of  Blind  Beetle.  Perhaps  the  reader  may  remember  that 
several  other  orders  of  insects  afford  examples  of  eyeless  species, 
especially  among  the  exotic  ants. 

The  family  of  the  Cryptophagidse  will  be  represented  by  one 
example. 

In  all  these  little  Beetles  the  antennae  have  eleven  joints,  and 
are  boldly  clubbed  at  the  end.  The  elytra  are  not  truncated, 
and  the  coxae  of  the  first  and  intermediate  pair  of  legs  are 
globular,  while  those  of  the  hind  pair  are  cylindrical.  The 
name  of  Cryptophagidae  is  given  to  these  Beetles  because  they 
feed  mostly  on  cryptogamous  plants,  especially  the  fungi.  Like 
the  last  family,  the  species  are  very  much  like  each  other,  and 
require  much  care  before  they  can  be  ascertained.  In  examin- 
ing the  details  of  all  these  minute  Beetles,  I  have  found  a 
compound  microscope  with  a  two  or  one-and-a-half-inch  object- 
glass  better  than  an  ordinary  pocket  lens,  but  a  Coddington 
lens  will  answer  nearly  as  well  in  experienced  hands. 

One  example  of  this  family  is  Gryptophagus  pilosus,  which 
is  shown  on  Woodcut  XI.  Fig.  4,  and  the  form  of  the  antenna 
is  shown  at  Fig.  g.  The  genus  is  known  by  the  shape  of  the 
margins  of  the  thorax,  which  are  more  or  less  toothed.  The 
present  species  is  oblong,  and  its  colour  rust-red,  the  surface  of 
the  body  being  sparingly  covered  with  very  fine  down.  The 
thorax  is  thickly  punctured,  especially  on  the  disc.  In  this 
Beetle  the  marginal  toothing  of  the  thorax  is  not  so  conspicuous 
as  in  most  of  the  species,  and  is  rather  undulated  than  toothed. 
It  is  to  be  found  in  and  about  fungi.  There  are  about  seven- 
teen species  of  this  genus. 


THE  BACON  BEETLE.  103 

The  next  family  is  called  Mycetophagi,  a  word  having  much 
the  same  signification  as  that  of  the  last  family,  the  Greek 
word  Myces  signifying  a  fungus,  especially  the  kind  of  fungus 
that  grows  on  tree-trunks.  The  insects  of  this  family  are  rather 
convex-bodied  and  oval,  and  covered  with  a  delicate  down. 
The  tarsi  have  four  joints,  except  in  the  males,  which  have  the 
tarsi  of  the  first  pair  of  legs  only  three-jointed. 

Our  example  of  this  family  is  taken  from  the  typical  genus, 
and  is  kno^vn  by  the  name  of  Mycetophagus  quadripustulatus, 
a  figure  of  which  is  given  on  Woodcut  XI.  Fig.  5.  The  genus 
is  disting-uished  by  the  shape  of  the  thorax,  which  is  as  wide  at 
its  base  as  the  base  of  the  elytra,  the  margins  of  the  thorax  and 
elytra  forming  one  continuous  line  without  any  division.  The 
club  of  the  antennae  is  rather  long  and  composed  of  five  joints, 
the  last  joint  being  egg-shaped,  and  the  four  others  short  and 
disc-like.  The  antenna  is  shown  at  Fig.  h  on  the  same  wood- 
cut.    Six  species  are  known  in  England. 

This  really  seems  quite  a  large  insect  when  we  compare  it 
with  some  of  those  which  have  lately  been  described,  as  it 
sometimes  reaches  a  length  of  a  quarter  of  an  inch.  The  head 
of  this  Beetle  is  reddish,  and  the  antennae  are  black  in  the 
middle  and  red  at  the  tip.  The  thorax  is  black,  narrow  in 
front  and  broad  behind,  with  rather  sharp  posterior  angles,  and 
a  rounded  pit  on  each  side  towards  the  base.  The  elytra  are 
black,  and  on  each  of  them  are  two  reddish-yellow  spots,  one  at 
the  base,  and  a  smaller  one  over  the  apex.  Some  specimens  have 
the  smaller  spot  so  pale  as  to  be  scarcely  visible,  while  in  others 
the  two  spots  are  united  by  a  streak  of  pale  yellow.  This  is  a 
very  pretty  little  Beetle,  and  easily  to  be  found  when  the 
searcher  knows  where  to  look  for  it.  The  interior  of  fungi, 
rotten  wood,  and  similar  localities  are  the  dwellings  of  this 
Beetle,  which  may  be  found  in  perfection  about  the  middle  of 
summer.  As  a  rule,  all  these  fungi-loving  Beetles  are  in  good 
preservation  when  captured,  as  the  nature  of  their  habitations  . 
shields  them  from  injury. 

The  next  family,  the  Dermestidae,  is  a  very  interesting  one  to 
the  entomologist,  although  he  can  but  hold  its  members  in 
bitterest  hatred.  The  word  Dermestes  is  of  Greek  origin,  and 
signifies  '  skin-eater.'     The  name  is  but  too  appropriate,  as  all 


104  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

possessors  of  zoological  collections  know  to  their  cost.  It  is  the 
Dermestes  which  forces  taxidermists  to  use  the  dangerous 
arsenical  soap  in  their  preparations,  and  it  has  been  the  means 
of  depriving  many  a  hard-working  man  of  his  best  teeth,  the 
arsenic  loosening  them  so  that  they  fall  out  almost  at  a  touch. 
By  way  of  a  set-off,  it  is  the  Dermestes  which  drove  the  late 
Mr.  Waterton  to  the  invention  of  his  wonderful  mode  of  taxi- 
dermy, in  which  no  arsenical  soap  is  used,  but  by  which  the 
skin  is  rendered  so  hard  and  elastic,  that  it  is  able  to  retain  the 
form  of  the  animal  without  having  a  wire,  a  piece  of  wood,  or 
even  a  pinch  of  cotton  wool  inside  it.  Full  many  a  valuable 
museum  has  been  utterly  ruined  by  these  destructive  Beetles, 
which,  even  when  the  skin  is  poisoned  with  arsenical  soap,  will 
attack  the  hair  or  the  feathers,  and  strip  the  creatui'e  as  bare  as 
if  it  had  been  shaved.  Moses  Harris,  the  old  entomologist, 
mentions  that  he  found  these  Beetles  alive  in  the  body  of  a 
living  Eyed-hawk  Moth. 

This  family  is  distinguished  by  their  short,  straight,  and 
doubled  antennse,  their  small  and  retractile  head,  the  five- 
jointed  tarsi,  and  the  length  of  the  elytra,  which  cover  the 
abdomen.  In  the  typical  genus,  the  antennse  are  shorter  than 
the  thorax,  and  the  club  is  egg-shaped,  as  seen  at  Fig.  i  on 
"Woodcut  XI.  The  palpi  are  thread-like  and  shorter  than  the 
maxillae,  and  the  first  joint  of  the  tarsus  is  shorter  than  the 
second.  For  illustration  of  this  genus  I  have  selected  the 
well-known  Bacon  Beetle  (DevTuestes  lardanus),  which  is 
shown  on  Woodcut  XI.  Fig.  6. 

This  is  really  a  pretty,  though  not  gailv  coloured.  Beetle,  its 
body  being  black,  and  its  elytra  having  a  very  broad  greyish 
band  across  the  base,  on  which  are  three  black  or  pitchy  spots. 
On  examination  with  a  lens,  the  band  is  seen  to  be  composed 
of  a  short  but  thick  grey  down,  the  black  spots  being  simply 
places  on  which  the  down  does  not  grow,  so  that  the  black  of 
the  elytra  is  rendered  visible. 

This  Beetle'  may  be  found  plentifully  in  the  '  keepers'  trees ' 
which  have  already  been  mentioned ;  and  even  after  the  animals 
have  been  so  dried  by  exposure  that  their  skins  are  as  hard  as 
horn,  the  Dermestes  will  attack  them,  its  sharp  teeth  enabling 
it  to  overcome  the  hardened  skin.  The  chief  havoc  caused  by 
this  Beetle  is  due  to  the  larvae,  one  of  which  may  be  seen 


THE  PILL  BEETLES.  105 

figured  on  Woodcut  XI.  Fig.  /.  Its  colour  is  whitish-brown 
above  and  white  below,  and  it  is  profusely  covered  with  long 
hairs.  The  cast  skins  of  these  larvae  may  be  seen  abundantly 
when  the  Beetle  has  taken  possession  of  any  place,  and  by  them 
the  museum  owner  is  often  warned  of  the  danger  which  has 
come  on  his  collection.  The  reader  will  see  that,  like  many 
other  destructive  insects,  it  is  most  valuable  in  its  right  place, 
and  does  good  service  by  removing  from  sight  objects  which 
are  not  only  unpleasant  to  the  eye  and  nostril  but  injurious  to 
the  health.  In  these  places  it  should  be  protected  and  en- 
couraged ;  but  when  it  makes  its  way  into  a  house,  extermina- 
tion is  the  only  com-se  to  be  used. 

We  now  come  to  the  Byrrhid^,  or  Pill  Beetles,  so  called  from 
their  rounded  shape,  and  the  manner  in  which  they  can  hide 
their  limbs  and  antennae  when  alarmed.  There  is  no  difficulty 
in  distinguishing  Beetles  belonging  to  this  family.  The  an- 
tenna are  gradually  thickened  towards  the  extremity,  and  the 
head  is  very  small  and  deeply  sunk  in  the  thorax,  with  which  it 
can  be  completely  retracted  in  most  of  the  species. 

The  machinery  by  which  the  legs  are  packed  up  is  extraor- 
dinary, and  this  alone  would  serve  to  indicate  the  family.  On 
the  tibiae  there  is  a  groove  in  which  the  tarsi  are  received  when 
doubled,  the  tibiae  fold  closely  to  the  femora,  and  the  whole  leg, 
thus  reduced  into  a  very  small  compass,  is  received  into  a 
groove  under  the  body.  In  fact,  the  legs  are  packed  up  very 
much  Hke  the  joints  of  a  portable  easel.  The  head  being  at 
the  same  time  withdrawn  into  the  thorax,  the  antennae  lie 
pressed  closely  against  its  sides,  so  that  when  the  Beetle  has 
thus  packed  away  all  its  limbs,  it  does  not  bear  the  least  re- 
semblance to  an  insect.  This  mode  of  concealment,  or  rather 
of  evasion,  is  rendered  more  perfect  by  the  fact,  that  the 
surface  of  the  body  is  covered  with  fine  down,  which  retains 
the  dust  of  the  roads  on  which  it  so  often  travels,  and  gives  to 
the  Beetle  the  aspect  of  a  little  round  dusty  stone.  And,  so 
pertinaciously  does  it  keep  this  attitude  when  alarmed,  that  it 
will  suffer  its  limbs  to  be  torn  from  its  body  rather  than  give 
the  least  sign  of  life. 

The  typical  genus   has  the    antennae  rather  flattened,  and 
shorter  than  the  thorax,  the  basal  joint  being  large,  the  second 


106 


INSECTS  AT  HOME. 


small  and  globular,  and  the  third  long  and  slender.  The 
club  is  formed  by  a  series  of  joints  regularly  increasing  in 
size,  the  last  joint  being  egg-shaped.  One  of  these  antennae  is 
drawn  on  Woodcut  XII.  Fig.  a.  The  thorax  is  waved  behind, 
and  the  body  is  very  convex. 

The  species  which  has  been  chosen  for  illustration  is  the 
Banded  Pill  Beetle  {Byrrhus  fasciatus),  which  is  drawn  on 


1.  Byrrhus  fasciatns.  2.  Elmis  asneus.  3.  Heterocerus  flexuosus.  4.  Hydrous  piceus, 
male.  a.  Byrrhus,  antenna.  6.  Elmis,  antenna.  c.  Hetex'ocerus,  antenna.  d.  Hydrous, 
fore  leg  of  female.        e.  Hydrous,  antenna  of  male.       /.  Hydrous,  larva. 


Woodcut  XII.  Fig.  1.  The  colour  of  this  Beetle  is  black,  the 
thorax  having  a  decided  golden  tinge.  Upon  the  elytra  are 
a  number  of  very  short  black  stripes,  and  in  the  middle  is  a 
reddish-yellow  band,  shaped  as  is  seen  in  the  figure.  This  is 
a  tolerably  plentiful  species,  though  it  is  not  so  often  found  as 
the  Common  Pill  Beetle  {Byrrhus  pilula),  which  is  without 


HOW  TO   CATCH  THE  BANK-SIDE  BEETLES.  107 

the  yellow  band  across  the  elytra.     Five  species  of  this  genus 
inhabit  England. 

The  next  family  is  the  Heteroceridae,  which  have  the  an- 
tennae short,  with  a  long  flattened  club  of  seven  joints,  as  may 
be  seen  by  referring  to  Woodcut  XII.  Fig.  c.  The  legs  are 
evidently  adapted  to  burrowing  in  the  earth.  The  body  is 
flat,  broad,  and  covered  with  a  thick  silken  down.  They  are 
all  frequenters  of  the  water,  and  live  in  burrows  which  they 
excavate  in  the  damp  soil.  There  is  only  one  genus  in  this 
family,  containing  seven  species,  of  which  our  example  is 
Heteroeerus  flexuosiiSf  which  is  drawn  on  Woodcut  XII.  Fig.  2. 
This  insect  is  yellowish  or  dun-coloured,  very  finely  punctured, 
and  covered  with  down.  Along  the  elytra  is  a  wavy  or  flexuous 
stripe  composed  of  black  spots  irregularly  disposed,  a  mark 
from  which  the  Beetle  derives  its  specific  name  of  fiexuosus. 
Towards  the  shoulders  there  is  a  black  spot,  and  another  in 
the  middle  towards  the  suture,  the  latter  not  being  so  dark 
or  well-defined  as  the  former. 

It  is  a  water-loving  Beetle,  and  has  been  taken  on  the  banks 
of  the  Thames,  near  Grravesend.  Mr.  Stephens  remarks,  that 
to  obtain  any  of  the  Beetles  of  this  family  is  a  very  easy  pro- 
cess. All  that  is  required  is,  to  go  to  the  bank  of  some  river 
— tidal  rivers  are  the  most  frequented — and  then  to  stamp  and 
trample  on  the  muddy  bank.  The  little  Beetles  are  alarmed 
at  the  turmoil  overhead,  and  come  out  to  see  what  is  the 
matter,  when  they  can  be  captured.  The  insect-hunter  must, 
however,  be  very  quick  in  seizing  them,  as  they  are  back 
again  almost  immediately,  or  hide  themselves  in  crevices  where 
their  tiny  bodies  cannot  be  seen. 

Like  the  preceding  Beetles,  the  Parnidse  are  water-lovers, 
and  some  of  them  prefer  to  live  under  the  water  rather  than 
above  it.  The  head  is  sunk  into  the  presternum,  and  the 
anterior  segments  of  the  abdomen  are  fixed  together  and  im- 
movable. They  are  divided  into  two  sub-families,  the  Par- 
nina  and  Elmina,  which  may  easily  be  distinguished  by 
examining  the  coxdb  of  the  front  pair  of  legs.  In  the  Pamina 
they  are  cylindrical,  and  in  the  Elmina  globular.  One  ex- 
ample of  this  family  is  taken  from  the  latter  sub-family,  and 


108  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

is  called  Elmis  ceneus.  One  of  these  Beetles  is  shown  on 
Woodcut  XII.  Fig.  2,  and  the  antenna  is  drawn  at  Fig.  b  of 
the  same  illustration. 

All  the  species  belonging  to  this  genus,  of  which  five  British 
examples  are  known,  are  very  curious  insects.  They  are  plen- 
tiful and  yet  are  seldom  found,  and,  indeed,  are  hardly  ever 
found  except  by  those  who  know  where  to  look  for  them.  In 
the  first  place,  they  are  small,  and  would  escape  observation, 
and  in  the  next  they  are  subaquatic  in  their  habits,  not  swim- 
ming about  conspicuously  like  the  Hydradephaga,  but  clinging 
to  the  under  side  of  submerged  stones  in  swiftly-running 
streams.  Most  aquatic  Beetles  prefer  still  water,  but  the 
stream  can  never  be  too  swift  for  the  Elmis  Beetles,  which 
will  even  select  a  waterfall  as  their  place  of  residence. 

The  present  species  is  the  commonest  of  the  genus. 

As  may  be  inferred  from  its  specific  name,  the  surface  of 
the  insect  has  a  brassy  gloss.  The  thorax  is  squared,  very 
convex,  and  on  either  side  of  the  disc  is  an  elevated  straight 
line.  The  elytra  are  striated  and  punctured,  and  the  under 
surface  of  the  body  is  clothed  with  thick  golden  down.  Besides 
the  characteristics  already  given,  the  last  joint  of  the  tarsi  is 
very  long,  and  armed  with  two  large,  sharp,  and  curved  claws, 
by  means  of  which  they  are  enabled  to  retain  their  position  on 
the  stones  in  spite  of  the  rushing  water.  It  is  rather  remark- 
able that,  although  the  upper  surface  of  the  body  is  very 
smooth,  and  the  Beetles  pass  the  greater  part  of  their  time 
submerged  in  rapid  streams,  the  body  is  often  so  caked  with 
mud  that  the  shape  of  the  insect  is  nearly  obscured. 

Now  we  come  to  a  very  familiar  but  little  understood 
insect,  popularly  called  the  Black  Water  Beetle.  Like  some 
of  the  preceding  species,  it  has  been  confounded  with  the 
Hydradephaga,  merely  because  it  inhabits  the  water,  no  re- 
ference being  made  to  its  structure,  or  even  its  mode  of 
feeding.  Indeed,  I  believe  that  scarcely  any,  except  entomo- 
logists, have  the  least  idea  that  the  Dyticus  and  the  present 
Beetle  are  not  the  same  insect,  the  only  difference  being  that 
one  is  much  larger  than  the  other.  Now,  if  we  examine  this 
Beetle,  Hydrous  piceus,  we  shall  find  a  vast  number  of  struc- 
tural differences,  as  well  as  complete  divergence  in  habits. 


THE  BLACK  WATER  BEETLE.  109 

The  Beetle  belongs  to  the  family  of  HydrophilidsR,  i.e. 
water-lovers.  Sometimes  the  two  halves  of  the  word  are 
transposed,  the  Beetles  being  called  Philhydrida,  the  significa- 
tion being  exactly  the  same  in  both  cases.  The  family  may  be 
known  by  the  size  of  the  palpi,  which  are  as  long  as  the 
antennae  and  sometimes  longer — the  latter  organs  never  having 
more  than  nine  joints,  and  sometimes  only  six — and  by  the 
double  lobe  of  the  maxilla  and  the  very  short  mandibles.  The 
tarsi  have  five  joints.  The  typical  genus  has  the  mandibles 
armed  on  the  inside  with  three  strong  teeth,  notched  at  their 
tips  ;  the  second  joint  of  the  maxillary  palpi  is  very  long,  and 
the  elytra  become  narrower  towards  the  apex. 

The  insect  is  represented  on  Woodcut  XII.  Fig.  4,  of  its 
natural  size,  showing  that,  with  the  exception  of  the  Stag 
Beetle,  it  is  our  largest  coleopterous  insect.  A  glance  at  the 
figure  will  show  one  of  the  principal  peculiarities  of  this 
Beetle,  namely,  that  the  palpi  far  exceed  in  length  the  an- 
tennae, and  project  in  front  considerably  before  those  organs. 
The  sexes  are  easily  distinguished  by  a  glance  at  the  antenna;, 
and  the  tarsi  of  the  first  pair  of  legs.  The  antenna  of  the  male 
is  drawn  on  the  same  woodcut.  Fig.  e,  and  in  the  same  sex  the 
last  joint  of  the  front  tarsi  is  very  much  dilated,  and  assumes 
the  form  of  a  partly  flattened  triangle.  The  same  limb  in  the 
female  does  not  possess  the  widened  joint,  and  may  be  seen  by 
reference  to  Fig.  d.  The  metastemum  terminates  in  a  sharp 
spine,  so  long  that  its  point  reaches  beyond  the  coxae  of  the  last 
pair  of  legs. 

The  colour  of  this  Beetle  is  smooth  blackish- oHve,  the 
margins  of  the  elytra  taking  a  bluish  tinge.  The  wings  them- 
selves are  very  large,  and  have  a  very  fine  effect  when  spread. 
On  each  of  the  elytra  are  eight  striae,  and  the  breast  is  clothed 
with  thick  yellow  down.  The  metastemum  is  developed,  as  in 
the  Dyticus,  into  a  pointed  process,  but  in  this  insect  the 
weapon  is  simply  needle-shaped,  and  is  about  the  size  of  an 
ordinary  darning-needl^.  It  is  black,  highly  polished,  and  very 
sharp.  There  is  much  variation  in  tint  in  difi"erent  individuals, 
but  the  average  hues  are  as  given  above. 

The  life  history  of  this  insect  is  a  very  curious  one.  The 
female  Beetle  is  furnished  with  a  complete  silk-spinning  appa- 
ratus, the  spinnerets  being  placed,  not  in  the  mouth,  as  is  the 


110  INSECTS  AT  HOME, 

case  with  the  silkworm,  but  at  the  end  of  the  tail.  With  these 
instruments  she  forms  a  cocoon  shaped  almost  exactly  like  a 
turnip,  being  round,  and  having  a  pointed  projection  from  one 
side.  Within  this  cocoon,  which  soon  becomes  hard  and  water- 
tight, and  is  fastened  to  the  stem  of  a  water-plant,  the  eggs  are 
placed ;  and  in  a  time  varying  from  a  fortnight  to  six  weeks, 
according  to  the  warmth  of  the  weather,  the  larv^  are  hatched. 
About  fifty  or  sixty  eggs  are  placed  in  one  cocoon,  and  by  this 
extraordinary  provision  they  are  preserved  from  harm  until  the 
larvae  are  able  to  escape  into  the  water  and  shift  for  themselves. 
They  are  very  small  at  first,  but  rapidly  increase  in  size  until 
they  attain  the  length  of  three  inches. 

One  of  these  larvae  is  shown  at  Fig.  /,  and  is  represented  as 
partly  grown.  It  is  soft,  fat,  and  dusky  in  colour,  and  feeds 
voraciously  on  molluscs  and  other  aquatic  animals,  as  might  be 
inferred  from  the  large  and  curved  jaws.  It  is  one  of  the  air- 
breathing  larvae,  and  is  therefore  obliged  to  come  frequently  to 
the  sui-face  in  order  to  take  in  a  supply  of  air,  which  is  done  by 
means  of  a  filamentous  appendage  at  the  end  of  the  tail. 
Somewhere  about  July  the  larva  has  completed  feeding ;  and 
then  leaves  the  water  ancf  crawls  up  the  bank,  searching  for  a 
soft  spot  in  which  to  burrow.  Here  it  sinks  its  tunnel,  and 
forms  an  oval  cocoon,  in  which  it  awaits  its  change  into  the 
pupal  state. 

The  Beetles  belonging  to  this  group,  being,  like  the  larvae, 
air-breathers,  are  forced  to  come  to  the  surface  for  the  purpose 
of  respiration  ;  and  they  contrive  to  carry  down  a  supply  of 
atmospheric  air  by  enclosing  a  bubble  under  the  bodies,  where 
it  looks  like  a  globe  of  quicksilver  as  they  swim  about.  As  this 
species  is  not  only  handsome  but  harmless,  it  is  in  great  favour 
with  the  keepers  of  aquariums,  and  is  in  consequence  quite 
scarce  in  many  places  where  it  used  to  be  plentiful,  the 
professional  dealers  having  ransacked  all  the  streams  within 
easy  reach  of  London. 

The  family  next  in  order,  the  Sphaeridiidae,  are  distinguished 
from  the  preceding  family  by  the  shape  of  the  tarsi,  which  are 
not  fitted  for  swimming,  and  the  hinder  pairs  of  which  members 
have  the  first  joint  much  longer  than  the  others.  They  are  all 
small  insects,  rather  globular  in  form,  from  which  peculiarity 


THE   CERCYONS.  Ill 

the  name  of  the  family  is  derived ;  and  they  are  dark-coloured, 
black  being  the  usual  hue,  relieved  in  some  species  by  reddish 
spots.  In  the  genus  Cercyon,  from  which  our  example  is  taken, 
the  club  of  the  antenna  is  large  and  bold,  the  palpi  are  slender, 
and  the  mentum  is  broad  and  flat. 

As  is  the  case  with  most  red  and  black  Beetles,  the  colour  is 
exceedingly  variable  in  different  individuals,  so  different  indeed, 
that  the  present,  species,  Cercyon  anale,  which  is  drawn  on 
"Woodcut  XIII.  Fig.  2,  has  been  described  under  four  separate 
names,  each  name  being  used  to  represent  a  different  species. 
Its  colour  is  black,  but  the  elytra  are  generally  tinted  towards 
the  apex  with  reddish-chestnut,  the  size  and  exact  tint  of  this 
mark  varjdng  exceedingly ;  and  in  some  specimens  the  elytra 
are  altogether  black.  Like  the  rest  of  the  genus,  it  can  be 
found  in  cowdung. 

Formerly  some  sixty  species  of  Cercyon  were  catalogued,  but 
they  have  now  been  reduced  to  seventeen  genuine  species ;  two- 
thirds  of  the  imagined  species  proving,  on  careful  investigation, 
to  be  nothing  but  varieties.  In  one  case,  that  of  Cercyon 
nigriceps,  the  same  insect  had  been  described  under  seven 
different  names  by  the  same  naturalist. 


CHAPTER  VII. 
LAMELLICOBNES. 

This  chapter  will  be  given  to  that  very  important  group  of 
insects,  the  Lamellicorn  Beetles,  popularly  called  Chafers. 
The  former  term  is  composed  of  two  Latin  words  signifying 
'  leaf-horned,'  and  is  applied  to  these  Beetles  because  the  club 
of  the  antennae  is  composed  of  a  series  of  flat  plates  or  leaves, 
which  are  movable  like  the  rays  of  a  fan,  except  in  the  Stag 
Beetle  and  its  kin.  The  antennae  are  always  short,  with  a  long- 
er large  basal  joint,  and  set  near  the  eyes  and  in  front  of  them. 
If  the  reader  should  have  skill  to  open  an  insect,  he  is  strongly 
recommended  to  do  so,  in  order  to  see  the  singular  manner  in 
which  the  large  and  apparently  heavy  bodies  of  these  insects 
are  lightened  by  a  great  number  of  air-vessels  connected  with 
the  breathing  tubes.  These  air-vessels  extend  all  over  the 
body,  and  are  found  even  in  the  head. 

The  larvae  are  fat,  fleshy,  soft-skinned  grubs,  feeding  on 
vegetable  matter,  mostly,  though  not  always,  in  a  state  of 
decay ;  and  the  last  segment  of  the  body  is  much  larger  than 
the  others.  After  they  are  full-fed,  they  make  cocoons  from 
the  chips  of  wood  or  other  fragments  of  the  material  on  which 
they  have  been  feeding ;  and  therein  await  their  change  into 
the  pupal  and  perfect  form. 

The  first  family  of  the  Lamellicornes  is  the  Cetoniidae,  or 
Eose  Beetle  family.  We  have  but  few  examples  of  these 
beautiful  insects  in  England,  and  one  or  two  of  them  are  very 
rare.  In  this  family  the  antennae  are  short,  and  have  only  ten 
joints,  three  of  them  forming  the  club.  The  body  is  broad, 
and  the  elytra  are  flattened  and  not  quite  long  enough  to  reach 
the  end  of  the  abdomen.  A  very  familiar  example  of  this 
family  is  given  on  Plate  V.  Fig.  1,  namely,  the  common  Rose 
Beetle  {Getonia  aurata). 


KING   OF  THE  ANTS.  113 

In  this  genus  there  is  a  curious  structure  of  the  epimera,  or 
side  pieces,  of  the  metathorax,  which  are  largely  developed,  so 
that  they  act  upon  the  bases  of  the  elytra,  and  prevent  the  insect 
from  opening  them  widely.  Any  of  my  readers  who  has 
watched  a  Eose  Beetle  flying  must  have  noticed  that,  although 
the  wings  are  very  ample,  the  elytra  are  scarcely  opened  at  all, 
so  that  they  cover  some  portion  of  the  lower  wings ;  whereas 
Beetles  generally  hold  the  elytra  well  elevated,  and  out  of  the 
way  of  the  wings.  The  edges  of  the  elytra  are  deeply  waved  in 
this  genus. 

This  is  a  truly  handsome  insect.  The  upper  surface  of  the 
body  is  beautiful  shining-green,  glossed  with  gold.  The  elytra 
have  a  number  of  impressed  dots  and  curved  marks  scattered 
irregularly  over  them,  and  towards  the  apex  are  a  number  of 
scattered  whitish  marks,  very  variable  in  size,  hue,  niunber,  and 
shape,  according  to  the  individual  insect.  Below,  it  is  bright 
polished-copper. 

The  perfect  Beetles  are  generally  to  be  found  in  roses, 
especially  the  white  and  wild  roses,  which  they  are  thought  to 
damage  in  some  degree.  Grardeners  have  an  objection  to  these 
Beetles,  because  they  are  apt  to  settle  upon  tlie  flower  of  the 
strawberry,  and  devour  just  those  parts  by  which  the  fruit  is 
produced.  In  the  south  of  England,  the  privet  blossom  is  a 
favoiuite  resort  of  these  Beetles.  The  larva,  however,  does  not 
content  itself  with  such  light  diet  as  rose-leaves,  but  lives  on 
the  less  poetical  but  more  substantial  nourishment  afforded  by 
decaying  wood,  in  which  it  remains  for  three  years.  One  of 
these  larvae  is  shown  on  Plate  V.  at  Fig.  6,  as  it  appears  when 
occupying  its  dwelling  among  the  debris  of  rotten  wood  at  the 
roots  of  the  tree.  As  may  be  seen  by  reference  to  the  plate,  it 
is  by  no  means  an  attractive-looking  creature,  and  gives  no 
sign  of  the  magnificent  colours  which  its  fat,  soft,  white  body 
will  soon  develope. 

Sometimes,  on  opening  a  wood  ant's  nest,  one  of  these  larvse 
is  found  in  it,  a  circumstance  which  has  gained  for  it  the  name 
of  King  of  the  Ants.  It  most  probably  takes  advantage  of  the 
large  quantity  of  wood-chips,  bits  of  straw,  fir-leaves,  and 
similar  material,  with  which  the  ants  make  their  nest;  and 
finds  therein  an  abundant  supply  of  food.     The  anta  do  not 

I 


114  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

meddle  with  it,  probably  finding  that  it  remains  in  one  spot, 
and  does  not  interfere  with  the  conduct  of  their  nest. 

The  reader  will  notice  that  the  larva  is  represented  in  a 
curved  attitude.  This  is  done  because  it  is  the  natural,  and 
indeed  the  needful,  attitude  of  these  larvae.  Their  legs  are  so 
small,  and  the  end  of  the  body  is  so  large,  that  they  cannot 
support  themselves  by  their  legs ;  and,  if  laid  on  a  flat  surface, 
immediately  roll  over  on  their  sides.  This  clumsiness — if  we 
may  so  call  it — of  form  is  not  peculiar  to  the  Eose  Beetle,  but 
is  found  in  all  the  group. 

After  it  has  remained  in  the  larval  state  for  the  full  period, 
it  makes  for  itself  a  cocoon  from  the  wood-chips  or  other 
materials  on  which  it  has  been  feeding;  and  it  sometimes 
happens  that  when  a  decayed  tree-trunk  is  suddenly  blown  or 
cut  down,  a  great  quantity  of  these  cocoons  roll  out  from 
among  the  ruins.  Even  when  the  larva  has  taken  up  its  abode 
in  an  ants'  nest,  it  makes  a  cocoon  from  the  surrounding 
materials.  A  group  of  these  cocoons  is  shown  on  the  same 
plate.  Fig.  7. 

A  somewhat  similar  but  rarer  Beetle  also  inhabits  England. 
It  is  called  Gnorimus  nobilis,  and  may  at  once  be  recognised  by 
a  glance  at  the  elytra,  which  are  not  waved  at  their  edges. 
Otherwise,  in  habits,  colour,  and  general  shape,  it  is  very  much 
like  the  Eose  Beetle,  and  the  body  is  shining  green-gold.  The 
elytra,  however,  are  wrinkled,  and  there  are  white  spots  scat- 
tered over  them.  There  are  also  white  spots  on  the  edges  of  the 
abdomen,  and  the  breast  is  covered  with  hairs.  It  is  generally 
found  on  umbelliferous  flowers. 

We  must  say  a  word  or  two  respecting  the  well-known 
insect,  the  Phyliopertha  horticola,  which  is  called  indifferently 
Bracken  Clock  or  June  Bug,  and  is  known  to  anglers  by  its  old 
Welsh  name  of  Coch-y-bondhu,  often  corrupted  by  them  into 
the  rather  ludicrous  word  Cockerbundy.  It  is  about  half  an 
inch  in  length,  and  has  reddish-brown  elytra  and  dark-green 
head  and  thorax.  It  is  found  in  great  abundance — often  too 
great  abundance  for  any  except  anglers — busily  engaged  in 
devouring  the  leaves,  blossoms,  and  even  the  young  fruit  of  our 
orchard-trees.  In  its  larval"  state  it  does  much  harm  to  the 
grasses,  of  which  it  devours  the  roots,  much  after  the  fashion 


PLATE    V. 
CHAFERS. 


1.  Cetonia  aurata. 

2.  Melolontha  vulgaris  (Male). 

3.  Geotrupes  stercorarius. 

4.  Lucanus  cervus. 

5.  Lucanus  cervus,  larva  (very  young). 

6.  Cetonia  aurata,  larva  (three  parts  grown). 

7.  Cetonia  aurata  (Pupa  cases  or  Cocoons). 

8.  Geotrupes  stercorarius,  larva  (young). 

9.  Melolontha  vulgaris,  larva  (three  parts  grovni). 

Plant : — 

Wild  Bose  {Hosa  cantnd). 


\r\u     M 


THE  COMMON   COCKCHAFEE.  115 

of  the    cockchafer   grub,  whose    ill   deeds    will  presently  be 
recorded. 

The  insect  belongs  to  the  family  Rutelidoe,  the  members  of 
which  have  strong,  horny  mandibles,  those  of  the  preceding 
family  being  only  horny  on  the  outside  ;  and,  besides  these 
differences,  the  elytra  are  lined  with  a  membrane  which 
projects  a  little  behind.  In  the  genus  to  which  we  are  re- 
ferring, the  antennae  have  nine  joints,  the  clypeus  is  short,  and 
the  thorax  is  narrowed  behind.  The  name  Phyllopertha  is 
composed  of  two  Greek  words,  signifying  '  leaf-destroyer,'  and 
is  very  appropriately  given  to  this  insect,  on  account  of  the 
ravages  which  it  makes  among  the  leaves  of  fruit-trees.  The 
specific  title  of  horticola  is  formed  from  two  Latin  words,  and 
signifies  '  garden-frequenting.' 

Next  we  come  to  the  small  though  important  family  of 
the  Melolonthidae,  which  includes  those  insects  which  are  popu- 
larly called  Cockchafers.  Only  five  species  of  this  family  in- 
habit England,  and  of  these  only  two  are  even  tolerably  common. 
These  two,  however,  more  than  compensate  by  their  enormous 
numbers  for  the  paucity  of  the  other  species ;  and  in  some  seasons 
are  so  exceedingly  plentiful  that  they  become  an  absolute  pest 
to  the  agriculturist,  laying  waste  thousands  of  trees,  and  de- 
stroying acre  upon  acre  of  pasture  land. 

The  family  of  the  Melolonthidie  have  very  strong  mandibles, 
as  is  evident  from  the  havoc  which  the  insects  make  among 
leave?,  and  the  outer  lobe  of  the  maxillae  is  strongly  toothed. 
In  the  typical  genus,  the  antennae  are  ten-jointed,  and  the 
club  of  the  male  is  composed  of  seven  joints,  while  that  of  the 
female  contains  only  six.  The  flattened  plates  of  the  club  are 
much  smaller  in  the  female  than  in  the  opposite  sex. 

On  Plate  V.  Fig.  2,  is  shown  a  male  specimen  of  the  common 
Cockchafer  {Melolontha  vulgaris)  crawling  to  the  trunk  of  a 
tree.  The  insect  is  so  well  known  that  a  detailed  description  is 
scarcely  necessary.  The  peculiar  bent  projection  at  the  end  of 
the  abdomen  is  worthy  of  notice,  as  are  the  rows  of  triangular 
white  spots  along  its  sides.  There  is  a  greyish  dovm  on  the 
breast,  and  the  elytra  are  covered  with  a  yellowish  down. 
Unless  the  insect  have  quite  newly  emerged  from  the  pupal 
state  and  been  handled  very  carefully,  the  down  is  sure  to  be 

I  2 


116  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

nibbed  off,  and  the  beauty  of  the  specimen  greatly  impaired ; 
so  that  a  really  perfect  specimen  even  of  so  common  a  Beetle  is 
worth  having. 

The  life  history  of  this  insect  demands  a  brief  notice.  The 
female  deposits  her  eggs  in  the  ground,  where  in  due  time  they 
are  hatched,  and  straightway  begin  to  feed  upon  the  roots  of 
grass,  which  form  the  chief  part  of  their  diet.  They  remain  in 
the  ground  for  three  years,  continually  destroying  grass-roots, 
and  increasing  to  a  wonderful  size  ;  so  large  and  fat,  indeed,  that 
their  tightened  skin  seems  scarcely  able  to  hold  its  contents. 
And  when  they  are  dissected,  it  really  seems  still  more  wonderful 
that  they  should  not  have  burst  with  sheer  fat  and  gorging.  I 
have  opened  numbers  of  them,  and  found  them  more  trouble- 
some than  any  other  larvae,  the  quantity  of  fat  being  so  enor- 
mous that  the  spirits  of  wine  in  which  they  were  sunk  had  to 
be  changed  over  and  over  again  before  it  was  sufficiently  clear 
to  allow  the  structure  to  be  seen.  Then,  even  when  that  diffi- 
culty was  overcome,  another  remained,  for  the  whole  of  the 
stomach  and  intestines  was  so  crammed  with  a  mixture  of  grass- 
roots and  earth,  that  it  looked  like  a  well-stuffed  and  very 
black  sausage,  with  a  very  thin  skin.  The  quantity  of  roots 
consumed  by  one  of  these  insects  is  very  great ;  and  in  some 
places  they  have  so  completely  destrv.yed  the  grass,  that  the 
turf  has  been  completely  detached  from  the  ground,  and  might 
be  rolled  up  by  hand  as  easily  as  if  the  turf-cutter's  spade  had 
passed  under  it.  These  mischievous  grubs  do  not  confine 
themselves  to  grass-roots,  but  eat  many  of  the  underground 
crops,  the  potato  often  suffering  terribly  from  them.  One  of 
these  larvae  is  shown  on  Plate  V.  Fig.  9,  as  it  appears  when 
about  one-third  grown. 

I  believe  that  the  rooks  are  our  best  friends  with  regard  to 
this  grub — technically  known  as  White-worm  in  some  parts 
of  England.  They  seem  to  be  able  to  detect  the  presence  of 
the  grub  by  hearing  its  teeth  at  work  on  the  grass-roots,  and 
then,  pecking  a  hole  with  wonderful  rapidity,  they  drag  out 
the  grub  and  take  it  home  to  their  young.  The  rooks,  in  fact, 
aid  us  in  ridding  our  grass  lands  of  the  White-worm  just  as 
do  the  starlings  in  destroying  the  larvae  of  the  daddy-long-legs. 

When  full-fed,  the  grub  makes  for  itself  a  cocoon  in  the 
earth,  and  then  emerges,  only  to  work  as  much   destruction 


,9 

PEOJEOTS  FOR  UTILISING   THE  COCKCHAFER.         ,117 

above  tlie  soil  as  it  did  below.  In  the  larval  state  it  fed  upon 
the  roots  of  grasses,  and  was  out  of  sight ;  it  now  feeds  on  the 
leaves  of  trees,  and  is  out  of  reach.  In  this  way  the  Beetles  are 
scarcely  less  mischievous  than  they  were  in  their  former  state,  for 
they  will  sometimes  denude  whole  tracts  of  trees,  so  that,  in  the 
full  beauty  of  summer-tide,  the  trees  look  as  if  the  season  were 
the  depth  of  winter.  In  this  country  we  are  almost  ignorant 
of  the  harm  which  the  Cockchafer  can  do,  for,  although  our 
crops  and  potatoes  often  suffer  severely  from  its  attacks,  they 
are  not  wholly  ruined,  as  is  the  case  on  the  Continent.  In 
consequence  of  the  noxious  character  of  this  Beetle,  I  never  had 
the  least  scruple  in  killing  it,  and  can  strongly  recommend  it 
to  my  readers  as  an  excellent  'subject '  for  the  study  of  insect 
anatomy.  Thus  a  double  service  is  rendered :  first  to  the 
country  by  its  death,  which  prevents  it  from  perpetuating  a  nu- 
merous progeny ;  and  next  to  the  investigator,  because  it  affords 
him  a  subject  which  will  train  both  the  hand  and  the  eye,  and 
which  can  be  so  easily  obtained  that  he  need  not  be  afraid  of 
spoiling  a  few  specimens.  Although  this  Beetle  is  at  present 
nothing  but  an  unmitigated  pest,  I  cannot  but  think  that  it 
may  yet  be  made  to  turn  to  the  service  of  man.  I  should 
not  wonder  if  the  silkworm  were  originally  a  great  plague  to 
gardeners  until  its  real  value  was  discovered,  and  so  it  is  not 
utterly  impossible  that  some  mode  may  be  found  of  turning  the 
Cockchafer  to  account.  At  present  it  is  but  of  little  use  to  man. 
It  is  employed  rather  largely  during  its  brief  existence  in  the 
Beetle  state  as  bait  for  sea-fish,  and  there  has  been  an  attempt 
made  to  procure  a  sort  of  coarse  oil  from  the  fat  bodies  of  the 
grubs.  Some  utilitarians,  of  abnormal  boldness,  have  proposed 
that  it  might  be  prepared  as  an  article  of  food,  and  have  sug- 
gested that  it  may  be  thought  as  much  a  delicacy  as  is  the  palm- 
worm  of  the  West  Indies.  But  they  entirely  forget  that  the 
palm-worm  lives  in  the  interior  of  trees,  and  that  it  contains 
nothing  but  vegetable  matter,  whereas  a  full-grown  Cockchafer 
grub  contains  a  full  thimbleful  of  earth,  a  substance  which  no 
amount  of  cooking  could  render  palatable. 

The  family  of  the  Greotrupidae  has  eleven  joints  in  the  an- 
tenna, of  which  three  form  the  club,  and  the  margin  of  the 
head    d hides  the  eyes    somewhat    like   the    structure  of  the 


118  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

Gyriui,  except  that,  in  the  case  of  those  insects,  the  eyes  are 
divided  by  a  broad,  flat  band,  and  in  the  present  family  by  a 
narrow  ridge  of  horny  substance.  The  body  is  very  convex  and 
the  thorax  large,  in  order  to  give  room  for  the  muscles  that 
move  the  large  wings  and  the  powerful  digging  fore-legs. 
Three  genera  of  Geotrupidse  exist  in  England,  two  of  which 
will  be  illustrated  by  examples. 

On  Plate  V.  Fig.  3,  may  be  seen  one  of  the  commonest 
English  species,  represented  as  crawling  up  the  trunk  of  a 
tree.  This  is  the  Geotrupes  stercorarius,  popidarly  known  as 
the  Dor  Beetle,  the  Flying  WATcnMAN,  the  Dumbi.e-dor,  and 
similar  names,  according  to  the  locality  in  which  it  lives.  The 
genus  Geotrupes  has  the  basal  joint  of  the  antenna  rather 
long,  and  the  fourth  joint  shorter  than  the  fifth,  the  body  very 
convex,  and  the  basal  joint  of  the  tarsus  is  the  shortest.  The 
generic  name  Geotrwpes  is  formed  from  two  Greek  words, 
signifying  '  earth-digger,'  and,  as  we  shall  presently  see,  is  a 
very  appropriate  one. 

The  colour  of  ■  this  species  is  black  above,  sometimes 
glossed  with  green  or  blue,  and  rich  shining-violet  beneath. 
On  the  middle  of  the  clypeus  there  is  a  sharp  tubercle.  The 
thorax  is  smooth,  except  at  the  margins,  which  are  thickly 
punctured,  and  on  each  side  there  is  a  nearly  circular  im- 
pression, thickly  punctured  in  the  interior.  The  middle  of  the 
scutellum  is  punctured,  and  the  elytra  are  striated,  the  spaces 
between  the  strise  being  smooth.  The  sexes  may  be  distin- 
guished by  means  of  the  tibise  of  the  first  pair  of  legs  and  the 
femora  of  the  hind  pair,  the  male  having  on  the  inner  side  of 
the  front  tibia  a  single  erect  spine,  and  the  inner  edge  of  the 
hind  femora  strongly  toothed.  As  this  insect  is  liable  to  much 
variation  in  colour,  it  is  necessary  to  call  attention  to  these 
minute  points  of  structure  by  which  the  species  can  be  definitely 
ascertained. 

The  life  history  of  this  Beetle  may  be  briefly  told  as  follows : — 

In  the  autumn  evenings  the  Beetles  may  be  seen  flying 
about  in  large  circles,  as  if  they  were  predaciovis  insects  quar- 
tering the  ground  in  search  of  prey.  In  one  sense,  this  is 
exactly  what  they  are  doing,  as  they  are  hunting  after  a  fa- 
vourable spot  wherein  to  place  their  eggs,  and  are  wheeling  over 
the  ground  in  hopes  to  find  one.  Attracted  probably  ^y  the  scent. 


LABOURS   OF  THE   DOR  BEETLE.  119 

the  Beetle  discovers  a  patch  of  cowdung,  aliglits  near  it,  crawls 
upon  it,  and  straightway  burrows  through  the  soft  material, 
and  is  lost  to  sight.  When  she — for  it  is  the  female  who 
does  the  work — reaches  the  earth,  she  does  not  cease  to  burrow, 
but  goes  on  with  her  labour  until  she  has  excavated  a  perpen- 
dicular tunnel  some  twelve  inches  in  depth,  and  carried  a 
quantity  of  the  cowdung  into  it.  In  this  substance  she  de- 
posits an  egg,  crawls  out  of  the  burrow,  and  proceeds  to  make 
another,  and  so  goes  on  until  she  has  laid  all  her  eggs. 

The  egg  remains  in  its  concealment  until  it  is  hatched,  and 
then  the  larva  consumes  the  food  which  its  mother  has  taken 
the  trouble  to  bring  down  for  it.  After  this  is  eaten,  the  grub 
is  stronof  enough  to  ascend  the  burrow  and  obtain  as  much 
food  as  it  wants  at  the  entrance.  Within  this  retreat  the  larva 
passes  through  its  transformations,  and  then  ascends  to  the 
outer  air,  ready  to  take  its  part  in  the  work  of  preparing 
nurseries  for  a  future  progeny.  Five  species  of  Geotrupes  are 
known  in  England.  Twice  as  many  species  have  been  described, 
but  recent  investigations  have  shown  that  exactly  half  the 
supposed  species  were  simple  varieties. 

On  Woodcut  XIII.  Fig.  1,  is  represented  a  Eeetle  of  a  very 
odd  appearance,  the  sides  of  the  thorax  being  prolonged  into  a 
pair  of  very  formidable  horns,  a  shorter  horn  occupying  the 
centre  of  the  anterior  margin.  This  is  the  male  Typhoeus 
vulgaris,  the  only  British  example  of  the  genus.  The  female 
has  only  the  veriest  rudiments  of  horns,  the  anterior  angles  of 
the  thorax  being  merely  developed  into  a  short,  sharp  pro- 
minence, like  the  teeth  of  a  saw,  while  the  place  of  the  central 
horn  is  taken  by  a  ridge  running  across  the  forehead.  Indeed, 
owing  to  the  absence  of  these  horns,  the  female  is  so  unlike 
the  other  sex,  that  no  one  who  was  ignorant  of  entomology 
would  be  likely  to  believe  the  two  creatures  to  be  nothing 
more  than  different  sexes  of  the  same  insect.  The  female  so 
closely  resembles  the  ordinary  Dor  Beetle,  that  the  older 
entomologists  comprised  the  Typhceus  within  tlie  genus  Greo- 
trupes. 

The  name  of  Typhoeus  was  given  fo  this  genus  in  the  days 
when  classical  mythology  was  the  source  of  now  names  for 
insects,  and  to  this  genus  the  name  of  Typoehus  was  given  on 


120 


INSECTS   AT   HOME. 


account  of  its  menacing  aspect,  which  was  fancifully  compared  to 
tlie  giant  Typhoeus,  who  frightened  Zeus  and  the  other  gods 
out  of  lieaven  merely  by  his  looks.  As,  however,  was  the  case 
with  its  ancient  prototype,  the  Typhoeus  is  not  nearly  so 
terrible  as  it  seems,  and  its  array  of  horns  cannot  do  the  least 
injury  to  the. hands  of  its  capturer.  At  Fig.  6,  on  the  same 
woodcut,  the  head  of  the  female  Typhoeus  is  shown. 


1.  Typhoeus  fnmatus.  2.  Cercyon  anale.  3.  Dorcns  parallelopipedtis.  4.  Agrilus  bi- 
guttatiis.  .'i.  Elater  sanguineus.  a.  Agrilus,  antenna.  b.  Typhoeus,  head  of  female. 
c.  Elater,  antenna.        d.  Elater,  head,  imder  side.        e.  Elater,  larva.       /.  Agrilus,  larva. 


There  is  no  possibility  of  mistaking  this  insect,  which  is 
the  only  British  example  of  its  genus ;  which,  in  addition  to 
the  characteristics  that  have  been  already  described,  lias  the 
first  and  last  joints  of  the  tarsus  of  equal  length,  and  longer 
than  the  others.  The  colour  of  the  insect  is  shining-black,  the 
elytra  being  regularly  but  not  very  deeply  striated.  There  is, 
however,  considerable  variation  in  this  insect,  as  even  in  some 


THE  APHODIUS.  121 

males  the  horns  are  comparatively  small,  and  little  better  de- 
veloped than  those  of  the  female.  The  colour  also  slightly 
varies,  a  warm-chestnut  tint  underlying  the  black,  so  that  the 
entomologist  ought  to  procure  a  series  of  specimens,  in  order 
to  show  the  usual  varieties  of  form  and  colour.  It  varies  in 
size  as  well  as  in  colour,  some  specimens  being  five-sixths  of 
an  inch  in  length,  while  others  are  barely  half  an  inch  long. 
This  extreme  difference  in  size  is  common  among  the  Laqiel- 
licornes. 

Considering  that  the  Typhosus  is  a  very  common  insect, 
it  is  surprisingly  little  known,  and  I  have  often  found  that 
entomologists  who  restricted  themselves  to  the  Lepidoptera 
alone  have  been  totally  ignorant  of  its  existence,  and  expressed 
much  surprise  when  I  showed  them  a  fine  male  Typhosus. 
This  insect  is  in  one  sense  an  extremely  interesting  one,  inas- 
much as  it  is  one  of  our  few  British  examples  of  the  strange 
and  almost  grotesque  forms  assumed  by  male  Lamellicornes, 
but  which  are  seldom  seen  except  in  exotic  Beetles. 

This  insect  may  be  found  in  all  parts  of  England  :  some  of 
those  in  my  own  collection  were  taken  near  Oxford,  and  the 
others  in  Wiltshire,  on  the  Downs.  The  end  of  May  and  be- 
ginning of  August  are  the  times  when  it  is  in  best  condi- 
tion, and  at  the  latter  season  it  may  often  be  seen  lying  dea:d 
in  roads  or  pathways.  Like  the  Dor  Beetle,  it  is  a  buiTower, 
and  has  been  taken  while  making  its  tunnel  in  sand. 

Theke  is  a  large  family  of  small  Beetles  which  must  not  be 
passed  over  without  a  brief  notice.  This  is  known  by  the  name 
of  Aphodiidge,  a  name  formed  from  two  Greek  words  which 
refer  to  the  habits  of  the  different  species,  which  are  always  to 
be  found  in  cowdung.  They  are  rather  oblong  and  cylindrical 
in  shape,  and  the  elytra  cover  nearly  the  whole  of  the  body. 
Many  species  are  among  the  commonest  of  our  British  insects, 
and  they  must  be  sought  in  their  accustomed  haunts  if  the 
beetle-hunter  wishes  to  obtain  a  good  series  of  specimens.  A 
stick  will  generally  suffice  to  eject  them  from  their  hiding- 
places,  but  tne  •  digger '  which  has  been  already  described  is  a 
more  effective  instrument,  as  the  insects  can  be  dug  out  of  their 
shelter  beneath  the  surface  of  the  earth.  Forty  species  of 
Aphodius  are  known  to  entomologists. 


122  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

The  family  of  the  Lucanidse  is  represented  in  England  by 
four  genera,  but  by  very  few  species,  only  one  British  species 
belonging  to  each  genus.  This  family  may  at  once  be  known  by 
the  club  of  the  antennae,  which,  though  formed  of  a  series  of 
plates,'  is  unlike  that  of  the  other  Lamellicornes,  in  that  the 
plates  cannot  be  folded  together,  and  are  arranged  so  as  to 
look  as  if  the  club  were  simply  pectinated.  Tlie  claws  have  a 
very  slender  secondary  claw  inside  them.  Besides  these  ex- 
ternal modifications  of  structure,  the  interng,l  anatomy  of  the 
Lucanidae  differs  from  that  of  the  other  Lamellicornes,  the 
nervous  system  being  distributed  in  a  manner  which  at  present 
is  not  known  in  any  of  the  Lamellicornes  which  have  been 
dissected.  In  the  males  the  mandibles  are  enormously  de- 
veloped, and,  in  consequence  of  these  distinctions,  many 
entomologists  have  thought  that  the  Lucanidse  ought  not  to 
belong  to  the  Lamellicornes,  but  to  be  formed  into  a  group 
by  themselves.  The  name  of  Pectinicornes,  or  '  combed 
antennae,'  has  been  suggested  as  an  appropriate  title.  As  to 
this  proposed  alteration,  Mr.  Eye  very  judiciously  remarks, 
that  such  a  change  ought  not  to  be  made  until  all  the  known 
Lamellicornes  have  been  dissected,  and  their  nervous  system 
examined. 

The  genus  Lucanus  is  distinguished  by  the  flattened  body, 
the  apparently  pectinated  four-jointed  club  of  the  antennae, 
and  the  enormous  jaws  of  the  male,  which  are  often  half  as 
long  as  the  head,  thorax,  and  body  together.  Our  only  British 
species  is  the  well-known  Stag  Beetle  {Lucanus  cervus),  which 
derives  its  popular  name  from  the  jaws  of  the  male,  which 
look  somewhat  like  the  horns  of  a  stag.  In  some  parts  of  the 
country  it  goes  by  the  name  of  Horn-bug.  A  figure  of  this 
fine  insect  is  shown  on  Plate  V.  Fig.  4,  the  Beetle  being  repre- 
sented in  the  act  of  flying. 

This  is  the  largest  of  the  British  Beetles,  as  it  sometimes 
attains  a  length  of  nearly  three  inches.  The  size,  however,  is 
extremely  variable,  as  some  males  are  barely  half  that  length, 
and  have  their  jaws  comparatively  small  and  weak.  These  are 
generally  called  undeveloped  males,  their  inferiority  being 
probably  due  to  a  want  of  food  while  in  the  larval  state.  Lest, 
however,  a  small  and  degenerate  race  of  Stag  Beetles  should 
be  perpetuated,  the  males  always  fight  for  possession  of  the 


HISTORY   OF  THE  STAG  BEETLE.  123 

females,  and  the  consequence  is,  that  none  but  the  largest  and 
strongest  individuals  have  a  chance  of  obtaining  a  mate. 

The  head  and  thorax  of  the  Stag  Beetle  are  black,  profusely 
punctured.  The  elytra  are  deep-chestnut,  becoming  black  on 
the  margins,  and  at  first  sight  appear  to  be  quite  smooth,  but 
are,  in  reality,  covered  with  the  finest  imaginable  punctures. 
The  jaws  are  of  the  same  colour  as  the  elytra,  and  the  legs  are 
black.  The  female  is  shaped  like  the  male,  with  the  exception 
of  the  jaws,  which  are  small,  cvurved,  and  sharply  pointed.  The 
head,  too,  is  smaller  than  that  of  the  male,  because  the  muscles 
attached  to  the  jaws  are  comparatively  small.  The  peculiar 
maxillae,  with  their  hairy  inner  lobes,  can  be  seen  on  page  9, 
Fig.  46.  When  in  their  places,  these  lobes  are  close  together, 
and  look  like  a  yellow  tongue. 

This  Beetle  is  in  some  parts  of  England  very  common,  and 
in  others  not  only  rare,  but  absolutely  wanting.  I  hunted 
insects  industriously  at  Oxford  for  a  series  of  years,  and  not 
only  never  saw  a  living  Stag  Beetle  within  many  miles  of  that 
city,  but  never  knew  that  a  specimen  had  been  taken  in  that 
locality.  There  is  no  apparent  reason  why  it  should  find  that 
Oxford  does  not  suit  it,  for  the  same  trees  flourish  there  as 
they  do  in  Kent,  where  it  is  one  of  the  commonest  of  the 
Beetle  tribe,  and  the  same  water  that  flows  past  Oxford  rolls 
through  the  Thames  valley  of  Kent.  Whatever  may  be  the 
reason,  the  fact  exists ;  and  I  well  remember  my  gratification 
and  astonishment  when  I  first  saw  the  Stag  Beetles  flying 
about  nearly  as  plentifully  as  Cockchafers  or  Dor  Beetles. 

The  larva  of  this  insect  somewhat  resembles  that  of  the 
Rose  Beetle,  and  lives  in  rotten  wood.  I  have  tried  to  rear 
this  larva,  but  unsuccessfully,  as  the  creature  would  die  before 
it  had  become  full-fed.  Indeed,  I  never  saw  the  larva  even 
attempt  to  eat,  though  I  kept  it  in  a  mass  of  the  same  wood 
in  which  it  was  living  when  captured.  One  specimen,  however, 
which  is  now  alive  on  my  desk,  did  eat  the  white  paper  lining 
of  the  box ;  but  it  entirely  refused  the  decayed  wood,  though  I 
repeatedly  placed  scraps  of  its  natural  food  within  its  jaws.  One 
of  these  larvae  is  represented  on  Plate  V.  Fig.  5,  as  it  appears  in 
its  home.  The  oak  supplies  its  favourite  food,  but  it  also  lives  in 
the  willow ;  and,  according  to  some  entomologists,  the  willow-fed 
specimens  are  smaller  than  those  which  live  in  the  oak.     These 


124  INSECTS  AT   HOME. 

larvae  often  do  very  great  harm,  their  powerful  jaws  enabling 
them  to  eat  into  the  living  as  well  as  the  dead  wood,  and  into 
the  roots  themselves.  It  remains  in  the  larval  state  for  at  least 
four,  and  perhaps  as  much  as  six  years,  and  when  it  is  about  to 
become  a  pupa,  makes  for  itself  a  cocoon  out  of  the  wood-chips 
with  which  it  is  surrounded. 

The  jaws  of  the  male  are  quite  as  formidable  weapons  as 
they  appear  to  be,  the  muscles  which  close  them  being  very 
powerful,  and  their  sharp  and  strong  teeth  inflicting  a  severe 
bite.  Mr.  Curtis  mentions  that  the  jaws  retain  the  power  of 
biting  long  after  the  head  has  been  separated  from  the  body,  and 
that  in  one  case  when  a  severed  head  of  a  Stag  Beetle  was  taken 
home  in  the  evening,  it  retained  on  the  following  morning 
sufiBcient  power  to  pinch  the  finger.  Still,  severe  as  is  the 
bite  of  the  male  Stag  Beetle,  that  of  the  other  sex  is  still  more 
severe,  the  points  of  the  strong,  sharp,  curved  jaws  being  made 
to  meet  in  the  flesh. 

At  first  sight  it  would  appear  that  the  insect  must  be  a  car- 
nivorous one,  and  that  such  formidable  weapons  were  used  for 
the  purpose  of  capturing  and  destroying  other  insects.  In 
reality  the  Stag  Beetle  is  essentially  a  feeder  on  juices,  which 
it  obtains  by  wounding  twigs  and  fruits  with  the  sharp  teeth 
of  its  mandibles.  If  kept  in  captivity,  it  will  feed  on  moistened 
sugar,  and  has  a  curious  way  of  flattening  itself  on  the  ground, 
in  order  to  reach  the  sugar  with  its  tongue.  Indeed,  it  only 
uses  its  jaws  as  weapons  of  offence,  when  it  fights  for  the  pos- 
session of  the  female,  or  when  it  is  captured  and  wishes  to 
escape.  It  will  bite  fiercely  in  such  a  case,  and,  if  kept  alive, 
will  resent  with  open  jaws  any  attempt  to  disturb  it. 

On  Woodcut  XIII.  Fig.  3,  is  represented  an  insect  which  is 
evidently  allied  tt)  the  Stag  Beetle,  the  short,  powerful,  toothed 
mandibles  looking  exactly  like  the  tips  of  the  Stag  Beetle's 
jaws.  This  Beetle  is  called  scientifically  Dorcus  parallelopi- 
pedus,  but,  I  believe,  has  no  popular  name.  The  word  Dorcus, 
in  Greek,  signifies  an  antelope,  the  name  being  given  to  the 
insect  in  consequence  of  the  shape  of  its  jaws,  which  are 
thought  to  resemble  the  horns  of  the  antelope,  as  those  of  the 
preceding  insect  resemble  the  horns  of  the  stag.  The  specific 
name  is  in  allusion  to  its  peculiar  form. 


THE  ANTELOPE   BEETLE.  125 

The  genus  is  distinguished  from  Lucanus  by  the  comparative 
shortness  of  the  jaws  in  tlie  male,  and  the  club  of  tlie  antennae, 
which  is  more  leaf-like  than  that  of  the  Stag  Beetle.  In  the 
female  the  jaws  are  comparatively  small  and  simple.  It  is  not 
a  pretty  Beetle  as  far  as  colour  goes,  for  it  is  dull,  dead-black, 
the  whole  of  the  surface  being  covered  with  very  fine  punctures. 
In  the  male  tliese  are  very  much  finer  on  the  head  and  thorax 
than  on  the  elytra,  so  that  these  members  have  a  sort  of  gloss 
somewhat  resembling  that  of  a  new  black  kid  glove.  If  the 
head  be  examined,  the  eyes  will  be  seen  to  be  nearly  severed 
by  the  margins  of  the  head,  which  overlap  them  considerably  in 
front,  though  not  behind. 

This  insect  is  found  plentifully  in  those  parts  of  the  country 
where  tlie  Stag  Beetle  abides,  and,  in  consequence,  is  very 
common  along  the  Thames  valley  of  Kent.  It  is,  however,  to 
be  seen  in  places  where  the  Stag  Beetle  does  not  live,  for  in 
the  late  Mr.  Hope's  note-book  I  found  a  memorandum,  stating 
that  in  1820  he  had  caught  the  Dorcus  at  Oxford,  where  the 
Stag  Beetle  is,  as  above-mentioned,  not  known.  My  own 
specimens  were  taken  in  Wiltshire.  Like  the  Stag  Beetle, 
this  insect  lives  in  rotten  wood,  the  female  digging  holes  in 
which  she  may  lay  her  eggs,  the  powerful  fore-legs  being  used 
for  the  purpose. 

Although,  as  has  been  already  stated,  this  insect  has  no 
popular  name,  there  is  no  reason  why  it  should  not  have  one. 
We  will  therefore  confer  one  upon  it  by  literally  translating  its 
scientific  title,  and  will  call  it  the  Antelope  Beetle. 


CHAPTER  Vm. 
STERNOXL 

The  group  that  now  comes  before  us  is  a  very  boldly  marked 
one,  and  yet  has  been  described  under  more  than  one  title. 
Some  entomologists  have  selected  the  word  Serncornes,  or 
*  saw-horned,'  because  the  antennae  are  serrated,  i.e.  notched, 
like  the  teeth  of  a  saw,  two  examples  of  which  may  be  seen  on 
Woodcut  XIII.  Figs,  a  and  c.  As,  however,  so  many  Beetles 
that  do  not  belong  to  this  group  have  their  antennae  serrated, 
the  word  has  been  abandoned  in  favour  of  Sternoxi,  or  '  sharp- 
breasted,'  because  the  prosternum,  or  under  side  of  the  thorax 
(see  Woodcut  I.  Fig.  8),  is  prolonged  backwards  with  a  sort  of 
spike,  which  iits  into  a  cavity  between  the  middle  pair  of  legs. 
This  projection  is  technically  named  the  '  mucro,'  or  dagger. 
The  body  is  long,  rather  cylindrical,  but  slightly  flattened,  and 
the  antennae  are  mostly  serrated,  but  sometimes  pectinated, 
and  in  a  few  instances  nearly  plain  and  thread-like.  There 
are  other  distinctions,  but  these  are  so  bold  and  evident  that 
they  will  be  quite  sufficient  for  the  reader's  purpose. 

Most  of  these  insects  possess  the  curious  power  of  leaping, 
which  has  earned  for  them  the  popular  title  of  Skipjack  Beetles. 
Their  legs  are  very  short,  so  that  if  the  Beetle  should  by  any 
chance  fall  on  its  back  on  a  flat  surface,  it  would  have  no 
power  of  recovering  itself,  but  for  the  curious  piece  of  me- 
chanism of  which  the  '  mucro '  forms  a  portion.  Whenever 
the  Beetle  falls  on  its  back,  and  cannot  recover  itself,  it  lies 
still  for  a  few  moments,  and  then  begins  to  arch  its  body,  so 
that  it  rests  only  upon  the  end  of  the  abdomen  and  the  back 
of  the  head,  the  thorax  being  well  elevated.  By  this  move- 
ment, the  mucro  is  drawn  out  of  the  groove  into  which  it  fits. 
Suddenly,  the  insect  reverses  its  position  and  springs  the  elastic 
mucro  into  its  place,  thus  driving  the  base  of  the  elytra  against 
the  ground,  and  causing  itself  to  fly  up  into  the  air. 


CLICK  BEETLES.  127 

This  apparatus  is  shown  on  Woodcut  XIII.  Fig.  cZ,  which 
represents  the  under  side  of  the  thorax.  The  mucro  is  seen  in 
the  middle,  as  it  appears  when  its  point  is  lifted  out  of  the 
hollow,  and  the  two  dark  lines  above  represent  the  grooves 
in  which  the  antennae  lie  in  order  to  protect  them  from  the 
shock  of  the  fall.  The  spring  is  always  accompanied  with  a 
slig-ht  but  sharp  clicking  sound,  from  which  these  insects  have 
derived  the  name  of  Click  Beetles.  There  is  an  absolute 
necessity  for  this  curious  provision  of  nature.  The  Click 
Beetles  are  all  feeble,  slow,  and  defenceless,  and  their  only 
way  of  escaping  from  an  enemy  is  by  loosening  their  hold  of  the 
herbage  on  which  they  are  crawling,  and  allowing  themselves 
to  drop  to  the  ground.  The  sweep-net  is  very  useful  in  catch- 
ing these  Beetles,  as  it  anticipates  the  movement,  and  captures 
them  as  they  fall. 

If  put  on  a  plate  or  other  hard  substance,  the  insect  will 
jump  a  surprising  height.  On  a  very  smooth  surface  like  that 
of  a  plate,  the  legs  can  take  no  hold  as  the  insect  falls,  and  it 
generally  rolls  over  on  its  back  again.  It  instantly  repeats 
the  jump,  and  again  failing  to  secure  a  hold,  seems  to  get  into 
a  passion,  leaping  seven  or  eight  times  in  rapid  succession,  and 
then  to  turn  sulky,  lying  on  its  back  without  moving  a  limb. 
These  insects  have  large  wings,  and  are  able  to  use  them  well, 
though  without  much  power  of  directing  their  course.  They 
always  fly  with  the  head  well  upwards  and  the  body  drooping 
downwards,  and  are  so  slow  that  they  can  be  captured  easily  by 
hand.  They  have  an  ingenious  habit  of  flying  to  some  upright 
green  stem,  clinging  to  it  just  below  the  seed-vessels,  and 
quickly  closing  their  wings  ;  so  that,  even  when  the  spot  where 
they  alighted  has  been  observed,  it  is  no  easy  matter  to  see 
them. 

We  will  now  proceed  to  describe  one  or  two  typical  examples 
of  this  group.  The  first  family,  the  Buprestida?,  is  kno^vn  by 
the  short  serrated  antennae,  the  hinder  angles  of  the  thorax, 
which  are  not  produced  backward  into  spines,  and  by  the  manner 
in  wliich  the  prothorax  sits  so  closely  against  the  base  of  the 
elytra  that  there  is  no  power  of  leaping.  Thus,  in  one  sense, 
they  have  no  right  to  be  ranked  among  the  Skipjacks  or  Click 
Beetles,  except  as  Skipjacks  that  cannot  skip,  and  Click  Beetles 


128  INSECTS  AT  HOiVIE. 

that  cannot  click.  The  body  is  always  hard,  rigid,  and  metallic 
in  its  colouring.  In  England,  our  species  of  Buprestidoe  are 
comparatively  small ;  but  many  exotic  species,  especially  those 
of  South  America,  are  of  very  large  size,  and  absolutely  gor- 
geous in  colour,  their  bodies  having  every  shade  of  scarlet, 
blue,  purple,  gold,  and  copper,  and  their  surfaces  being  in  very 
many  cases  polished  like  burnished  metal. 

I  may  here  mention  that  the  word  Buprestis  is  of  Grreek 
origin,  and  signifies  '  ox-swelling.'  The  name  was  given  by  the 
earlier  naturalists  to  a  sort  of  Beetle  which,  according  to 
popular  ideas,  was  eaten  by  cattle  together  with  the  grass,  and 
caused  their  bodies  to  swell  to  such  an  extent  that  the  animals 
died.  The  name  has  for  many  years  been  applied  to  this 
family  of  Beetles,  and,  in  default  of  a  better,  has  been  re- 
tained. I  need  scarcely  remark  that  a  banquet  on  green  clover 
is  quite  sufficient  to  cause  an  ox  to  swell  and  perhaps  die,  with- 
out the  addition  of  any  Beetle  whatever. 

Of  these  insects  our  example  will  be  Agrilus  biguttatus, 
which  is  represented  on  Woodcut  XIII.  Fig.  4.  In  the  genus 
Agrilus  the  body  is  cylindrical,  the  thorax  is  squared,  and  the 
basal  joint  of  the  antennae  is  very  short. 

This  is  a  lovely  insect,  and  it  is  a  great  pity  that  its  beauti- 
ful colour  cannot  be  properly  indicated  by  black  and  white. 
The  colour  of  the  upper  surface  is  brilliant-blue  or  green,  with 
a  bronzed  gloss,  and  towards  the  apex  of  each  elytron,  and  close 
to  the  suture,  is  a  cream-coloured  spot  covered  with  thick  but 
short  hair.  The  whole  of  the  upper  surface  is  rendered  richer 
in  its  colouring  by  the  way  in  which  it  is  broken  up  by  wrinkles 
and  punctures  on  the  head  and  thorax,  and  profuse  granulation 
on  the  elytra.  Beneath,  it  is  also  blue  or  green,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  several  pure  white  down-covered  spots  on  the  sides. 
The  legs  are  of  the  same  colour  as  the  elytra. 

Although  this  is  not  a  very  common  species,  it  is  at  all 
events  not  one  of  our  rarities,  and  is  one  of  the  many  beautiful 
British  Beetles  which  are  to  be  captured  in  Darenth  wood.  This 
is  the  largest  of  the  British  Buprestidoe,  and  is  the  best  repre- 
sentation of  its  gorgeous  exotic  relations.  It  flies  well,  and 
can  be  taken  on  the  wing  as  well  as  by  the  sweep-net.  As  for 
the  hand,  it  has  scarcely  a  chance  against  this  lovely  but  pro- 
voking Beetle,  which  takes  alarm  at  the  least  movement  of  its 


THE  ELATER.  129 

intended  captor,  folds  its  limbs  and  antennno  closely  to  its  body, 
and  falls  to  the  ground,  where  search  is  almost  useless,  its 
small  green  body  harmonising  so  well  with  the  colour  of  the 
herbage.  ♦ 

At  Fig.  /  on  the  same;  woodcut  the  larva  of  this  insect  is 
shown,  rather  magnified,  though  not  so  much  as  the  Beetle 
itself.  In  its  larval  stage  of  existence  the  insect  lives  in  dead 
or  decaying  trees,  usually  just  under  the  bark.  The  present 
species  prefers  the  oak,  and  burrows  under  the  bark  of  the 
old  oak-stumps  that  are  left  by  the  woodcutters  after  they  have 
felled  the  trees.  When  the  larvae  are  full-fed  they  make  their 
cells  between  the  bark  and  the  tree  itself,  and,  like  many  other 
brightly-coloured  Beetles,  remain  in  the  pupal  cell  for  some 
time  after  they  have  thrown  off  the  pupal  envelope,  so  that  the 
integiunents  of  the  body  may  gain  their  full  hardness  before 
the  insect  moves  into  the  open  air. 

Passing  by  the  family  of  the  Eucnemidae,  which,  like  that  of 
the  BuprestidaB,  has  the  prothorax  fitting  so  closely  against 
the  base  of  the  elytra  that  the  insect  cannot  leap,  we  come  to 
the  typical  genus,  of  which  our  example  is  Elater  sanguineus, 
drawn  on  Woodcut  XIII.  Fig.  5.  In  this  family  the  antennae  are 
long,  and  inserted  just  in  front  of  the  eyes,  which  are  large  and 
round.  The  two  hinder  angles  of  the  thorax  are  produced  into 
spines  pointing  backwards,  and  the  mucro  is  able  to  move  freely 
in  the  cavity  into  which  it  fits,  in  consequence  of  the  distance 
between  the  base  of  the  elytra  and  the  thorax.  In  this  o-enus 
the  tarsi  are  bristly,  the  joints  becoming  gradually  smaller,  the 
body  is  flattened,  and  the  sides  of  the  thorax  are  not  widened. 
The  name  Elater  is  Grreek,  and  signifies  a  'striker'  or  'hm-ler,'  the 
name  being  given  to  the  insect  in  consequence  of  its  power  of 
hurling  itself  into  the  air. 

The  ground  colour  of  the  present  species  is  black,  but  it  is 
covered  with  brown-black  or  red-brown  down,  the  thorax  being 
rather  convex,  punctured,  and  having  a  short  and  shallow 
furrow  behind.  The  elytra  are  of  a  more  decided  hue,  being 
blood-red  (whence  the  specific  name,  sanguineus),  and  are 
striated  and  punctured.  It  is  not  a  very  common  insect,  but 
may  be  found  in  woods.  I  have  taken  it  in  a  copse  on  the 
Wiltshire  downs. 


130  INSECTS  AT   HOME. 

Ou  Woodcut  XIII.  Fig.  e,  is  drawn  the  larva  of  this  species, 
which  some  of  my  readers  will  probably  recognise  as  the  Wire- 
worm.  The  fact  is,  there  are  many  Wire-worms,  the  larvae  of 
several  species  of  Skipjack  Beetles  being  called  by  this  con- 
venient name.  They  are  termed  Wire-worms  for  two  reasons — 
first,  because  they  are  long  and  narrow,  seeming  to  be  drawn 
out,  as  it  were,  like  wire ;  and,  secondly,  because  they  are 
tough  and  hard-skinned,  so  that  a  roller  passing  over  them 
does  them  no  manner  of  harm,  but  only  squeezes  them  into  the 
soil,  as  if  they  were  so  many  pieces  of  wire. 

Some  of  these  larvae  commit  terrible  ravages  among  the  crops, 
feeding  upon  the  roots,  and  so  remaining  themselves  hidden 
while  their  ravenous  jaws  are  destroying  the  very  life  of-  the 
plants.  There  are  few  things  which  irritate  an  agriculturist 
more  than  such  a  foe  as  this.  He  makes  up  his  mind  to  the 
caterpillar,  the  turnip-fly,  the  snail,  and  other  creatures  which 
devour  the  plant  itself.  They  at  least  can  be  seen  while 
eating,  however  closely  they  may  conceal  themselves  at  other 
times,  and  the  amount  of  food  which  they  take  is  proportionate 
to  the  mischief  which  they  do.  But  the  Wire-worm  wastes  and 
eats  in  concealment,  and,  while  it  only  eats  one-tenth  the 
amount  of  that  consumed  by  a  caterpillar  of  equal  size,  destroys 
ten  times  the  number  of  plants.  Various  projects  have  been 
set  on  foot  for  extirpating  the  Wire-worm,  but  I  hear  of  no 
plan  that  has  succeeded  except  that  provided  by  Nature, 
namely,  the  fondness  of  certain  birds  for  the  Wire-worm.  Mr. 
Westwood  mentions  that  even  pheasants  are  useful  to  the 
farmer  in  this  respect,  their  crops  having  been  found  stuffed 
with  Wire-worms.  There  are  very  few  plants  or  flowers  which 
this  voracious  insect  will  not  attack,  and  the  gardener  as  well 
as  the  farmer  is  therefore  interested  in  the  Skipjack  Beetles 
and  their  progeny. 

The  mole  is  a  great  eater  of  Wire-worms,  as  it  finds  them 
near  the  surface,  and  can  take  them  while  making  the  super- 
ficial burrows  which  it  often  excavates  within  an  inch  or  two 
of  the  surface  of  the  ground.  It  is  stated  that  this  destruc- 
tive larva  remains  five  years  in  the  ground  before  assuming  the 
pupal  i:tage,  so  that  we  ought  to  encourage  as  far  as  possible 
ivery  creatiu-e  which  assists  in  keeping  down  its  numbers. 


THE  CAMPYLUS. 


131 


Our  last  example  of  these  insects  is  that  which  is  repre- 
sented on  Woodcut  XIV.  Fig.  1,  and  is  known  by  the  name  of 
Gampylus  linearis. 

As  the  reader  may  see  by  reference  to  the  figure,  this  insect 
is  very  unlike  any  of  the  Beetles  of  this  group  which  have 
been  already  described.  The  head  projects  boldly  from  the 
thorax,  and  the  eyes  are  very  large.     The  hinder  angles  of  the 

XIV 


1.  Campylus  linearis.  2.  Telephorus  fuscus.  3.  Clerns  formicarins.  4.  Anobium 
striatum.  5.  Mezium  sulcatum.  a.  Mezium,  side  view.  b.  Mezium,  antenna.  c.  Ano- 
bium, antenna.       d.  Anobium,  larva.        e.  Clerus,  larva.       /.  Telephorus,  larva. 

thorax  are  rather  elevated,  sharp,  and  bent  outwardly.  The 
body  is  long  and  slender,  a  fact  which  has  gained  for  the  insect 
the  specific  title  of  linearis.  The  generic  title  Campylus  is  of 
Greek  origin,  the  word  signifying  a  peculiar  staff;  and  the 
name  has  been  chosen  on  account  of  the  slender,  stick-like 
form  of  the  insect. 

This  is  an  extremely   variable    species  in  point  of  coloui-, 

K  2 


132  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

the  female  being  very  remarkable  in  this  respect.  Red,  however, 
is  the  leading  coloiir,  and  the  average  hues  of  the  insect  may 
be  described  as  follows  : — The  head  is  black  and  deeply  punc- 
tured, and  the  thorax  has  a  deep  furrow  along  the  centre, 
and  a  transverse  pit  or  '  impression '  a  little  behind  the  middle. 
Its  colour  is  brick-red,  and  in  many  specimens  there  is  a  black 
spot  on  the  centre,  while  in  others  the  same  part  is  brown. 
The  elytra  are  rather  more  convex  in  the  female  than  in  the 
opposite  sex,  and  are  covered  with  striae  and  punctures.  Their 
colom*  is  somewhat  the  same  as  that  of  the  thorax,  but  rather 
paler,  though  in  many  examples,  especially  among  the  females, 
the  whole  elytra  are  yellowish-brown  except  the  margin,  which 
retains  the  ordinary  brick-red  colour. 

The  insect  is  a  plentiful  one,  especially  in  certain  years.  It 
is  best  taken  by  means  of  the  sweep-net,  which  should  be  used 
along  the  sides  of  hedges,  in  copses,  and  similar  localities.  It 
is  the  only  British  example  of  its  genus. 


CHAPTER   IX. 

MALACODERMI. 

In  this  group  of  Beetles  are  gathered  together  a  number  of 
Beetles  diflfering  much  from  each  other  in  many  points,  but 
agreeing  in  the  one  characteristic  which  has  gained  for  them 
the  name  of  Malacodermi,  or  Soft-skinned  Beetles.  In  these 
insects  the  exterior  of  the  body,  instead  of  being  quite  hard 
and  strong,  as  is  the  case  with  those  Beetles  which  we  have 
examined,  is  soft  and  flexible,  and  generally  covered  with  a 
very  short  and  delicate  down. 

We  begin  our  notice  of  these  Beetles  with  the  family  of  the 
Lampyridae,  of  which  only  one  species  inhabits  England,  namely, 
the  well-known  Glow-worm  [Lampyris  noctiluca).  In  this 
family,  the  female  possesses  neither  wings  nor  elytra,  the  head 
is  concealed  under  the  large  and  rounded  prothorax,  and 
both  sexes  have  the  power  of  emitting  a  phosphorescent  light, 
the  lamp  of  the  female  being  very  much  brighter  than  that  of 
her  mate. 

This,  almost  our  sole  representative  of  the  exotic  light-giving 
insects,  is  fortunately  very  plentiful  in  this  country,  and  may 
be  seen  abundantly  in  sheltered  spots,  preferring  those  which 
are  slightly  damp.  It  is  very  abundant  in  Kent,  and  in  the 
summer  evenings  the  green-blue  lamp  of  the  Glow-worm  may 
be  seen  shining  anaid  the  leaves.  If  examined  in  the  dark,  the 
light  is  seen  to  proceed  from  the  three  last  segments  of  the 
body,  the  under  side  of  which  emits  the  light  in  a  wavering, 
uncertain  sort  of  way,  the  fact  of  being  handled  seeming  to 
alarm  the  insect  and  cause  it  to  retain  the  light-giving  power. 
Sometimes,  indeed,  it  puts  out  its  lamp  altogether  when 
handled,  the  light  being  evidently  under  the  control  of  the  in- 
sect. It  is  said,  however,  that  if  a  Glow-worm  be  placed  in 
oxygen  gas   the  light  is  greatly  intensified,  and   the  Beetle 


134  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

seems  unable  or  unwilling  to  retain  it.  Gilbert  Wbite,  in  his 
'  Selborne,'  remarks  that  the  Glow-worms  put  out  their  lamps 
between  eleven  and  twelve  at  night,  and  shone  no  more  for  the 
rest  of  the  night. 

Both  sexes  of  the  Glow-worm  are  represented  on  Plate  VI., 
the  male  at  Fig.  1,  and  the  female  on  his  right  at  Fig.  2.  The 
dissimilarity  between  the  sexes  is  very  strongly  marked,  the 
female  being  entirely  wingless,  while  the  male  has  large  wings, 
and  elytra  which  cover  the  whole  of  the  body.  It  is  popularly 
thought  that  the  male  does  not  possess  the  light-giving  power ; 
but  this  is  a  mistake,  as  every  practical  entomologist  must 
know.  Still,  though  the  male  does  possess  a  lamp,  it  is  very 
much  smaller  and  feebler  than  that  of  the  female,  and,  instead 
of  a  mass  of  phosphorescence,  throwing  a  radiance  of  some 
inches  in  extent,  it  is  nothing  more  than  two  tiny  spots  of  light, 
no  larger  than  minnikin  pins'  heads.  I  once  took  a  male 
Glow-worm  on  the  wing  with  his  lamps  lighted. 

As  to  the  object  of  the  light,  it  is  a  matter  of  very  great 
uncertainty.  The  obvious  solution  of  the  problem  is  to  say 
that  the  light  is  intended  to  guide  the  male  to  his  mate ;  and 
if  the  naturalist  be  a  classical  scholar,  he  will  be  siure  to  make 
an  allusion  to  Hero  and  Leander — 

The  chilling  night-dews  fall — away,  retire ; 
For  see,  the  Glow-worm  lights  her  amorous  fire ! 
Thus,  ere  night's  veil  had  half  obscured  the  sky, 
The  impatient  damsel  hangs  her  lamp  on  high : 
True  to  the  signal,  by  love's  meteor  led, 
Leander  hastened  to  his  Hero's  bed. 

These  lines,  even  though  written  by  so  acute  a  naturalist  as 
Gilbert  White,  are  more  poetical  than  true.  I  cannot  of  course 
say  that  the  light  of  the  female  may  not  act  as  a  guide  to  her 
mate,  but  I  cannot  see  that  this  is  the  object  of  the  light. 
There  are  plenty  of  night-flying  insects  which  manage  to  find 
their  mates  in  the  dark  without  the  use  of  any  such  aid,  being 
attracted  to  them  by  scent  rather  than  sight ;  and,  even  if  the 
light  emitted  by  the  female  Glow-worm  be  intended  for  such 
a  purpose,  that  of  the  male  cannot  be  of  the  slightest  use  either 
to  him  or  to  the  mate  whom  he  is  seeking. 

Moreover,  not  only  the  perfect  insects,  but  the  pupae,  the 
larvae,  and  even  the  eggs  are  slightly  luminous,  so  that  in  these 


THE  GLOW-WORM.  135 

cases  the  light  evidently  cannot  act  as  a  guide.  I  am  inclined 
to  believe  that  no  utilitarian  theory  will  account  for  this  sin- 
gular development  of  light  from  a  living  insect,  and  that  the 
phosphorescence  was  given  to  it  for  the  same  reason  that  the 
butterfly's  wing  glows  with  many-coloured  plumage,  and  the 
rose  is  dowered  with  softly-tinted  petals  and  sweet  perfume. 

This  insect  is  doubly  interesting  to  the  entomologist.  In 
the  first  place,  it  is  a  British  light-producer ;  and  in  the  second, 
its  life  in  the  larval  state  is  a  very  valuable  one  to  the  agricul- 
turist. It  feeds  on  snails,  attacking  and  devouring  them  while 
still  alive,  their  shells  being  no  protection  to  the  luckless  mol 
luscs.  The  structure  of  this  larva  is  rather  remarkable.  In 
the  first  place,  it  bears  a  singularly  close  resemblance  to  the 
perfect  female  insect ;  and  in  the  next,  it  is  furnished  with  a 
peculiar  apparatus  at  the  end  of  the  tail,  which  serves  a  double 
purpose,  primarily  of  assisting  in  locomotion,  and  secondarily 
acting  as  a  brush,  by  which  the  slime  of  the  snail  can  be  swept 
from  its  body.  In  some  works  on  entomology,  this  organ  has 
been  erroneously  dra\\Ti  like  a  shaving-brush  cut  off  square  at 
the  end,  whereas  it  consists  of  some  seven  or  eight  projections 
from  the  end  of  the  body,  which  can  be  protruded  or  with- 
drawn at  wi41.  Almost  as  soon  as  the  snails  begin  to  come  out 
from  the  hiding-places  in  which  they  have  lain  dormant 
through  the  winter,  the  Glow-worm  larva  is  ready  to  attack 
them,  and  thus  plays  its  part  in  reducing  the  number  of  snails 
that  would  have  been  produced  by  those  which  it  kills,  and  so 
helpmg  to  preserve  the  balance  of  .\ature. 

It  remains  in  the  larval  state  uutil  April  or  .May,  according 
to  the  warmtli  of  the  weathei,  and  then  changes  into  a  pupa 
the  male  and  female  forms  being  then  very  distinct,  as  the 
former  exhibits  the  rudiments  of  the  elytra,  while  the  latter 
remains  as  wingless  as  in  the  larval  state.  After  the  lapse  of 
a  tortnight  or  a  little  more,  the  pupal  envelope  bursts,  and  the 
perfect  Beetle  makes  its  appearance.  The  generic  name  of 
Lampyris  is  formed  from  two  Greek  words,  signifying  'shining- 
tail.'  °  ° 

In  the  little  Beetle  known  by  the  name  oi  Drilus  fiavesceiis 
we  have  another  of  the  many  unkno^vn  benefactors  of  the 
agriculturist  and  gardeners.     A  portrait  of  this  insect  is  given 


136  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

on  Woodcut  XV*.  Fig.  4,  enlarged  about  two  and  a  half  dia- 
meters, so  as  to  show  the  peculiarities  of  its  structure. 

The  genus  is  distinguished  by  several  points  of  structure. 
The  antenntE  of  the  male  are  beautifully  and  deeply  pectinated, 
the  pectination  being  on  the  inner  side  only  of  the  antennae. 
The  head  projects  boldly  from  the  thorax,  thus  diflfering  greatly 
from  the  preceding  insect,  and  the  ends  of  the  mandibles  are 
two-notched.  The  body  is  rather  long  and  moderately  convex. 
The  ground  colour  of  this  insect  is  black,  but  when  it  is  in 
good  condition,  it  is  thickly  covered  with  yellowish-grey 
down,  which  has  a  sort  of  rich  velvet-like  aspect.  Tlie  elytra 
are  also  covered  with  down,  and  are  very  soft. 

This  description  applies  only  to  the  male  Beetle,  the  female 
being  so  utterly  unlike  her  mate,  that  few  persons,  even  if 
they  had  some  acquaintance  with  entomology,  would  believe 
her  to  be  the  female  of  the  pretty  little  Beetle  which  has  just 
been  described.  Indeed,  for  a  long  time  the  two  sexes  were 
regarded  as  two  distinct  insects,  belonging  even  to  different 
genera,  the  male  retaining  the  name  of  Drilus,  and  the  female 
being  described  under  the  title  of  Cochleoctonus  vorax.  The 
name  was  appropriate  enough,  inasmuch  as  the  word  Cochleoc- 
tonus signifies  '  snail-killer,'  and  the  specific  namS  vorax  was 
given  in  allusion  to  its  voracity. 

It  is  really  no  wonder  that  creatures  so  different  in  appear- 
ance should  be  looked  upon  as  two  distinct  insects.  In  the 
first  place,  the  female  is  inordinately  larger  than  her  mate, 
who  looks  by  her  side — to  borrow  Eeaumur's  simile — like  a 
hare  standing  by  a  cow.  A  figure  of  the  female  is  given  on 
Woodcut  XV*.  Fig.  3,  where  she  is  represented  of  the  natural 
size,  i.e.  about  three-quarters  of  an  inch  in  length.  Now,  the 
male  Drilus  seldom  exceeds  one-quarter  of  an  inch  in  length, 
and  often  is  below  that  measurement.  Like  the  female  glow- 
worm, she  is  entirely  wingless,  but  is  more  cylindric  than 
that  insect,  and  the  body  is  narrowed  in  front.  The  colour  is 
reddish-yellow,  and  each  segment  has  two  dark  patches  on  the 
upper  side.  Altogether,  she  is  not  a  pretty  insect — indeed, 
she  may  almost  be  called  ugly ;  and  how  the  slender,  elegant 
little  male  finds  any  attraction  in  such  a  huge,  awkward-look- 
ing mate,  does  certainly  seem  wonderful. 

The  larva  is  very  much   like  the  female,  but  has  a  row  of 


SOLDIERS  AND  SAILORS.  137 

conical  fleshy  lobes  along  the  sides,  and  two  rows  of  hairy 
bunches  on  its  back.  At  the  end  of  the  tail  is  a  forked  lobe, 
which,  like  the  similar  part  of  the  glow-worm  larva,  is  used  as 
a  means  of  locomotion.  It  is  by  these  lobes  and  bunches  that 
the  larva  is  enabled  to  force  its  way  into  the  snails  on  which  it 
feeds.  This  larva  is  but  seldom  seen,  as  it  lives  throughout  its 
entire  larval  and  pupal  existence  within  the  shell  of  the  snail, 
and  the  skin,  which  it  casts  preparatory  to  changing  into  the 
pupal  state,  exactly  fills  up  the  entrance  of  the  shell. 

The  male  Beetle  is  widely  spread  over  England,  but  is 
seldom  captured  except  by  skilled  insect-hunters,  while  the 
female  is  so  rare  that  many  entomologists,  who  have  taken  the 
male  Drilus  repeatedly,  have  never  even  seen  the  female. 

The  following  account  of  the  capture  of  one  of  these  Beetles 
is  given  by  Mr.  E.  C.  Eye  : — '  I  once  took,  at  the  base  of  Shak- 
speare's  Cliff,  a  full-grown  female  larva,  running  rapidly  in  the 
hot  sunshine  among  snail-shells.  It  was  more  than  half  an 
inch  long ;  flat,  narrow,  but  rather  widening  behind  ;  with  a 
flat  head,  armed  with  two  sharp  and  rather  widely-separated 
mandibles  ;  six  moderately  long  anterior  legs,  ten  thin  tubercles 
on  each  side  of  the  fourth  and  following  segments,  gradually 
getting  longer,  and  clothed  with  stout  brown  bristles  ;  and  two 
longer  elevated  protuberances,  also  set  with  long  hairs  on  the 
upper  side,  with  an  oval  elongation  beneath,  on  the  last  seg- 
ment. It  was  nearly  the  colour  of  raw  sienna,  and  had  a 
widening  row  of  black  spots  on  each  side,  beginning  on  the 
thorax.' 

There  is  but  one  British  species  of  this  genus. 

The  family  of  the  Telephoridse  comes  next  in  order.  These 
insects  have  long  and  very  soft  elytra,  which  often  do  not  cover 
the  whole  of  the  abdomen.  The  head  is  not  hidden  under  the 
thorax,  and  both  the  antennae  and  the  palpi  are  slender.  The 
various  species  are  very  plentiful,  especially  on  the  flowers  of 
umbelliferous  plants,  and  are  popularly  kno^vn  as  Soldiers  and 
Sailors — the  red  species  being  called  by  the  former  name,  and 
the  blue  species  by  the  latter. 

One  of  these  Beetles,  called  Telephorus  fuscus,  is  shown  on 
Woodcut  XIV.  Fig.  2.  In  this  genus  the  elytra  reach  to  the 
end  of  the  abdomen,  and  the  thorax  is  not  notched.     Soft- 


138  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

bodied  as  are  these  Beetles,  they  are  among  the  most  quarrel- 
some of  insects,  and  fight  to  the  death  on  the  least  provoca- 
tion. Indeed,  it  has  long  been  the  custom  for  boys  to  catch 
these  Beetles,  and  set  them  fighting  with  each  other.  There 
is  not  the  least  difficulty  in  this,  inasmuch  as  the  Beetle  is  as 
ready  for  battle  as  a  game-cock,  and,  not  content  with  fighting 
to  the  death,  eats  its  vanquished  antagonist  after  killing  it. 
The  popular  idea  among  boys  used  to  be,  that  a  soldier  and  a 
sailor  must  be  pitted  against  each  other ;  but  this  is  not  the 
case,  for  these  Beetles  will  fight  and  devour  each  other  without 
the  least  reference  to  species  or  even  to  sex,  so  that  a  soldier 
male  and  female  will  fight  as  fiercely  as  if  they  were  two  males 
of  different  species. 

They  are  not  active  insects,  and  though  they  can  fly  well, 
and  use  their  wings  freely,  are  slow  of  progress,  and  can  be 
taken  by  hand  while  in  the  air.  The  larva  of  the  Telephorus 
is  represented  on  Woodcut  XIV.  Fig.  /.  Like  the  perfect 
insect,  it  is  carnivorous,  feeding  generally  upon  earth-worms, 
but  having  no  scruple  in  devouring  its  own  kind.  These 
larvae  may  be  found  among  grass  and  moss  during  the  earlier 
months  of  the  year,  after  the  severe  frosts  have  ceased.  They 
pass  the  whole  of  the  winter  in  the  larval  state,  and  assume  the 
pupal  condition  about  April  or  May,  according  to  the  warmth 
of  the  season.  Twenty-two  species  of  Telephorus  are  indigenous 
to  England. 

The  family  of  the  Cleridse  are  mostly  beautiful  insects,  and, 
although  they  are  not  large,  some  of  them  may  rank  among 
our  prettiest  Beetles.  The  body  is  oblong,  hard,  and  covered 
with  down,  and  the  head  and  thorax  are  not  as  wide  as  the 
elytra.  The  genus  Clerus  is  known  by  several  points  of  struc- 
ture. The  basal  joint  of  the  tarsus  is  very  minute,  the  last 
joint  of  the  labial  palpi  is  hatchet-shaped,  and  the  last  joint 
of  the  antennae  is  large,  rounded,  and  furnished  with  a  ciirious 
projecting  point  directed  inwards. 

In  their  larval  state  these  Beetles  are  carnivorous  and  para- 
sitic on  other  insects.  We  shall  take  two  examples  of  this 
pretty  genus,  the  first  of  which  is  Clerus  formicarius,  which  is 
shown  on  Woodcut  XIV.  Fig.  3.  The  head  of  this  insect  is 
black,  and  the  thorax  brick-red,  the>front  margin  being  black. 


THE  mVE  BEETLE.  139 

The  elytra  are  very  boldly  coloured,  their  ground  hue  being 
black  crossed  by  two  snow-white  bands,  shaped  as  seen  in  the 
illustration,  and  their  base  is  of  the  same  colour  as  the  thorax. 
The  larva,  which  is  shown  at  Fig.  <?,  is  found  under  the  bark  of 
trees,  not  to  eat  the  wood  or  bark,  but  to  destroy  and  feed  upon 
the  larvae  of  wood-boring  Beetles.  Its  colour  is  dark-pink, 
spotted  in  front.  The  specific  name  of  JormicaHus  is  given 
to  this  Beetle  because  it  has  an  ant-like  aspect. 

Another  species.  Oleics  apiaHus,  is  represented  on  Wood- 
cut XV*.  Fig.  2.  This  is  very  differently  coloured  from  the 
preceding  species.  It  has  the  head  and  thorax  deep-blue,  and 
the  elytra  red,  crossed  with  three  blue  bands.  The  larva  of 
this  insect  is  parasitic  on  bees,  preferring  the  comb  of  the  hive- 
bee,  in  which  it  is  very  mischievous,  devouring  not  only  one 
larva,  as  is  generally  the  case  with  such  parasites,  but  several 
in  succession,  creeping  for  the  purpose  from  one  cell  to  the 
other.     We  may  call  it  the  Hive  Bketle. 

The  name  of  Clerus  was  given  by  Aristotle,  in  his  'History  of 
Animals,'  to  a  destructive  insect  that  did  much  harm  in  bee- 
hives, and  it  has  therefore  been  appropriated  to  these  Beetles. 
It  is  very  likely,  however,  that  the  Clerus  of  Aristotle  was 
really  the  larva  of  the  Honey-moth  {Galleria\  too  familiar  to 
all  bee-keepers.  This  is  the  more  likely,  because  the  Honey- 
moth  is  very  common,  and  the  Beetle  is  always  a  scarce  insect. 
There  is  another  species,  Clerus  alveanus,  which  inhabits  the 
nests  of  solitary  bees,  such  as  those  belonging  to  the  genera 
Osmia  and  i\Iegachile.  All  the  species  form  cocoons  when  they 
are  about  to  pass  into  the  pupal  state ;  and  after  they  have 
attained  their  perfect  form,  they  can  walk  boldly  into  the  open 
air,  even  the  stings  of  the  hive-bee  being  of  no  avail  against 
the  hard  armour  of  the  Beetle. 

The  reader  will  remember  that  the  larva  of  the  first  example 
of  the  Cleridoe  feeds  on  those  of  certain  wood-borino-  Beetles. 
We  now  come  to  one  of  the  insects  which  furnishes  unwilling 
nourishment  to  the  Clerus.  It  is  represented  on  Woodcut  XIV. 
Fig.  4,  and  is  called  Anobium  striatum.  This  Beetle  belongs 
to  the  family  of  the  Ptinidse,  a  group  of  small  and  very  de- 
structive Beetles.  They  are  cylindrical  in  shape,  covered  with 
very  short  do^vn,  and  are  able  to  draw  their  heads  completely 


140  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

under  the  overhanging  thorax.  Their  legs  can  be  packed 
closely  to  the  body,  and  the  tarsi  have  five  joints.  Tlie  genus 
Anobium,  of  which  there  are  eleven  British  species,  has  the 
three  last  joints  of  the  antennae  rather  longer  than  the  others, 
and  the  last  joint  egg-shaped. 

The  various  species  of  this  genus  work  terrible  havoc  among 
furniture,  in  which  they  produce  the  defect  that  is  popularly 
known  by  the  name  of  '  worm-eaten.'  They  are  not  in  the 
least  particular  as  to  their  diet,  and  will  devour  almost  any 
kind  of  food.  They  seem  to  have  a  special  appetite  for  weapons 
and  implements  made  by  savages,  as  I  know  to  my  proper 
cost,  sundry  Kaffir  articles  being  absolutely  riddled  with  the 
burrows  of  these  tiny  Beetles,  and  not  to  be  handled  without 
pouring  out  a  shower  of  yellow  dust,  caused  by  the  ravages  of 
the  larva.  The  most  complete  wreck  which  they  made  was 
that  of  a  New  Guinea  bow,  which  was  channelled  from  end  to 
end  by  them,  and  in  many  places  they  had  left  scarcely  any- 
thing but  a  very  thin  shell  of  wood. 

In  such  cases  I  have  but  one  remedy,  namely,  injecting  into 
the  holes  spirits  of  wine  in  which  corrosive  sublimate  has  been 
dissolved.  This  is  not  so  tedious  a  business  as  it  may  seem  to 
be,  as  the  spirit  will  often  find  its  way  from  one  hole  to  another, 
so  that,  if  half  a  dozen  holes  be  judiciously  selected,  the  poison 
will  penetrate  the  whole  piece  of  wood,  kill  all  the  insect  in- 
habitants, and  render  it  for  ever  impervious  to  their  attack. 
The  above-mentioned  bow  cost  me  but  little  trouble.  I  first 
shook  out  the  greater  part  of  the  yellow  powder,  and  then, 
placing  the  bow  perpendicularly,  injected  the  spirit  into  several 
holes  at  the  upper  end.  The  eftect  was  magical.  Tlie  little 
Beetles  came  out  of  the  holes  in  all  directions,  and  not  one 
survived  the  touch  of  the  poisoned  spirit ;  many  of  them, 
indeed,  dying  before  they  could  force  themselves  completely 
out  of  the  holes.  They  will  also  eat  skins  and  any  dried 
animal  substance ;  and  I  have  found  a  neglected  box  of  moths 
completely  eaten  by  these  Voracious  insects. 

The  present  species  is  rather  convex,  and  blackish-bro"\vn  in 
colour.  The  thorax  is  rather  narrowed  behind,  and  on  each 
side  of  the  hinder  margin  are  two  pits.  The  elytia  are  boldly 
striated,  each  stria  being  seen,  when  examined  with  tlie  aid  of 
a  lens,  to  consist  of  a  number  of  punctures  placed  in  regular 


THE   DEATH-WATCH.  141 

rows.  It  is  a  very  common  species.  The  larva  of  this  de- 
structive insect  is  drawn,  much  magnified,  at  Fig.  d,  and  the 
antenna  at  c. 

The  old  popular  terror  respecting  the  Death-watch  is  well- 
known,  a  mysterious  ticking  being  heard  in  the  dead  of  night, 
which  was — and  is  still — supposed  to  presage  the  approaching 
death  of  some  one  in  the  house.  The  ticking  of  the  Death- 
watch  is,  in  fact,  the  call  of  the  Anobium  to  its  mate,  and,  as 
the  insect  is  always  found  in  old  wood,  it  is  very  evident  why 
the  Death-watch  is  always  heard  in  old  houses.  There  is,  by 
the  way,  a  species  of  cockroach  which  acts  in  a  similar  manner, 
and  generally  disports  itself  on  board  ship,  where  the  sailors 
know  it  by  the  name  of  Drummer. 

Our  last  example  of  this  group  is  represented  on  Woodcut 
XIV.  Figs.  5  and  a,  the  latter  showing  the  profile  of  the 
insect,  whose  name  is  Mezium  sulcatum.  There  are  three 
insects  very  closely  resembling  each  other,  belonging  respec- 
tively to  the  genera  Mezium,  Gribbium,  and  Niptus,  each  being 
the  sole  British  representative  of  its  genus.  The  two  former 
are  almost  exactly  alike,  but  can  be  distinguished  by  look- 
ing at  the  thorax  with  a  lens,  the  difference  being  that 
in  Gibbium  the  thorax  is  smooth,  whereas  in  Mezium  it  is 
covered  with  longitudinal  furrows,  whence  the  name  sulcatum^ 
or  '  furrowed.' 

To  my  mind,  these  are  the  oddest-looking  Beetles  that  we 
have  in  England,  and,  indeed,  at  first  sight  they  much  more 
resemble  spiders  than  Beetles.  Their  bodies  are  globular,  and 
covered  with  pale  golden  down  of  a  silky  or  satiny  lustre. 
When  the  insect  is  placed  under  a  moderate  microscopic  power 
— say  about  thirty  diameters — it  is  seen  to  be  clothed  with  a 
double  set  of  hairs,  i.e.  a  thin,  soft  down  lying  flat  to  the 
body  with  the  points  of  the  hairs  directed  backwards,  and  mixed 
with  a  quantity  of  stiff  and  rather  curved  bristles,  set  in  regular 
rows  over  the  surfiice.  In  those  places  where  the  Beetle  has 
been  roughly  handled,  both  the  down  and  the  bristles  fall  off, 
showing  the  ground  colour  of  the  elytra  beneath,  which  is  a 
dark  chocolate-brown.  These  Beetles  have  no  wings,  and  the 
head  is  quite  imder  the  thorax,  which,  being  globular  and 
apparently  bearing  the  antennae,  is  often  mistaken  for  the  head 


142  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

itself.     The  relative  position  of  the  head  and  thorax  can  be 
seen  by  reference  to  Fig.  a.     There  are  no  wings. 

The  Mezium  can  generally  be  found  in  the  cupboards  and 
other  recesses  of  old  houses,  and,  indeed,  all  three  Beetles  may 
be  captured  on  the  same  premises.  A  very  good  trap  for  them 
is  a  deep  and  steep-sided  basin,  with  a  little  moist  sugar  at  the 
bottom,  and  a  stick  or  two  laid  against  the  sides  by  way  ol 
a  ladder.  The  Mezium  is  very  fond  of  sugar,  gets  up  the 
ladder,  lets  itself  tumble  into  the  sugar,  and  then  cannot  get 
out  again,  not  being  able  to  cling  to  the  polished  sides  of  the 
basin.  It  is  thought  by  many  entomologists,  that  neither  ol 
these  Beetles  is  indigenous,  but  that  all  three  have  been  im- 
ported from  abroad. 


CHAPTER  X. 

HETEROMEBA. 

This  is  a  very  important  section  of  the  Coleoptera,  em- 
bracing many  of  our  most  familiar  Beetles,  though  in  England 
the  number  of  Heteromerous  Beetles  is  very  small  when  com- 
pared with  the  list  of  exotic  insects.  The  name  Heteromera  is 
compounded  of  two  Greek  words,  signifying  'unequal-jointed,' 
and  is  applied  to  these  Beetles  because  they  all  have  five  joints  in 
the  tarsi  of  the  first  and  intermediate  pairs  of  legs,  and  only 
four  joints  in  those  of  the  hinder  pair.  As  has  been  mentioned 
in  coiinection  with  other  four-jointed  tarsi,  the  full  number  of 
five  joints  is  in  reality  present,  but  the  basal  joint  is  very  long, 
and  in  it  is  merged  the  missing  joint;  so  that  the  joint  is  in 
reality  not  abseiit,  but  so  small  as  to  escape  ordinary  ob- 
servation. 

The  reader  may  object  that  many  other  Beetles  are  possessed 
of  this  characteristic.  So  they  are,  but,  nevertheless,  the 
distinction  is  a  good  one.  In  the  first  place,  the  missing  joint 
in  other  Beetles  is  merged  in  the  last  and  not  in  the  basal 
joint ;  in  the  next  place,  the  true  Heteromera  have  the  eyes 
kidney-shaped,  and  not  projecting  far  from  the  head ;  the 
antennsB  are  '  moniliform,'  i.e.  looking  like  a  row  of  beads  on  a 
string,  and  the  mandibles  are  notched  at  their  tips. 

The  first  family  of  this  section  is  named  Blaptidse,  and  its 
members  are  known  by  the  '  securiform,'  or  hatchet-shaped  last 
joint  of  the  maxillary  palpi,  and  the  long  femora  of  the  hind 
legs.  The  wings  are  not  developed,  and  the  elytra  are  soldered 
together.  In  England  we  only  have  one  genus  of  this  family, 
containing  three  species.  That  which  we  will  take  as  our  type 
is  the  Churchyard  Beetle  [Blaps  mortisaga),  which  is  repre- 
sented on  Woodcut  XV.  Fig.  1,  the  antenna  being  shown  at 
Fig.  df  below  the  insect.     All  the  species  belonging  to  this 


144 


INSECTS  AT  HOME. 


genus  are — to  use  a  word  which  I  do  not  like  to  apply  to 
insects — ugly.  They  are  dull,  dead-black  in  colour,  are  won- 
derfully sluggish,  crawling  slowly  as  if  afflicted  with  rheum- 
atism, and  always  frequenting  damp,  dark,  and  dismal  places. 
Being  often  found  in  the  mm'kiest  crannies  of  cellars,  they  have 
gained  the  popular  and  appropriate  title  of  Cellar  Beetles. 


XV 


1.  Blaps  mortisaga.        2.  Diaperis  boleti.  3.  Tenebrio  molitor.       4.  Mclandrja  caraboides. 

6.   Orchesia  undulata.          a.   Blaps,  larva.  6.   Melandrya,  larva.          c.   Tenebrio,  larva. 

d.  Blaps,  antenna.        e.  Diaperis,  antenna.  /.  Tenebrio,  auteima.        g.  Melaudrya,  antenna. 
h.  Orchesia,  antenna. 


The  species  represented  in  the  illustration  may  be  recognised 
by  the  bold  puncturing  and  contracted  base  of  the  thorax,  and 
the  lengthened  projection  at  the  apex  of  the  elytra.  It  is  not 
so  generally  plentiful  as  the  second  species,  Blaps  inucronata, 
being  seldom  found  in  the  southern  parts  of  England.  Still 
these  species  are  very  similar  in  their  habits.  They  are 
possessed   of  a   very  nauseous  odom-,  suggestive  of  dwelling 


KILLING   BEETLES.  145 

among  the  graves.  Yet,  unpleasant  as  these  Beetles  may  be, 
we  are  informed  that  an  Egyptian  species,  Blaps  sulcata,  is 
employed  as  a  remedy  for  ear-ache,  and  a  cure  for  the  sting  of 
the  scorpion ;  while  the  women  are  in  the  habit  of  seeking  and 
eating  it,  in  order  to  produce  the  fatness  which  is  thought  in 
the  East  to  be  an  essential  point  in  female  beauty. 

This  Beetle  is  singularly  tenacious  of  life,  having  been 
known  to  revive  after  having  been  immersed  in  spirits  of  wine 
for  a  whole  night.  However,  it  cannot  withstand  boiling 
water,  and  instantaneously  dies  when  immersed  in  it.  The 
Beetle-hunter  will  always  find  that  boiling  water  affords  the 
most  merciful  way  of  killing  the  larger  Beetles.  As  all  the 
nervous  system  runs  along  the  under  side  of  the  body,  the 
Beetle  should  be  plunged  into  the  water  with  its  legs  down- 
wards, and  the  consequence  is  that  the  action  of  the  heat 
instantly  destroys  both  sensation  and  life.  Care  must,  how- 
ever, be  taken  that  the  water  is  absolutely  boiling,  and  the 
Beetle  must  not  be  allowed  to  remain  in  it,  or  it  will  fall  to 
pieces.  The  best  way  is  to  seize  the  insect  by  a  pair  of  forceps, 
to  plunge  it  quickly  into  the  water,  and  then  to  withdraw  it. 

The  larva  of  the  Blaps  is  represented  on  Woodcut  XV.  Fig. 
a,  and  is  very  much  like  the  common  meal-worm. 

Passing  over  several  families,  we  come  to  the  Diaperidse, 
which  are  smooth,  shining,  and  brightly-coloured.  In  general 
form  and  colour  they  very  much  resemble  the  Chrysomelidae 
(which  will  be  presently  described),  but  may  be  at  once  distin- 
guished from  them  by  the  tarsi  of  the  first  pair  of  legs  having 
five  joints,  whereas  the  Chrysomelidae  have  only  four  visible 
joints  to  these  members. 

The  typical  genus,  from  which  our  example  is  taken,  is 
distinguished  by  the  basal  joint  of  the  hind  tarsi,  which  is 
short,  whereas  it  is  long  in  the  other  genera.  The  pretty  little 
Diaperis  boleti  is  shown  on  Woodcut  XV.  Fig.  2,  and  one  of  its 
antennae  at  Fig.  e.  This  is  a  boldly-coloured  insect,  its  body 
•  being  shining-black,  crossed  on  the  elytra  by  two  yellow  bands, 
one  near  the  base  of  the  elytra,  and  the  other  rather  beyond 
the  middle.  It  derives  its  specific  name  from  the  fact  that  in 
the  larval  state  it  is  a  fungus-eater,  feeding  on  several  of  the 
boleti  which  grow  on  the  trunks  of  trees.     It  is  remarkable  for 

L 


146  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

possessing  no  eyes.  Before  it  changes  into  the  perfect  form  it 
scoops  for  itself  a  cell,  and  then  lines  it  with  silk,  so  as  to  form 
it  into  a  cocoon.  This  is  one  of  the  very  rarest  British  insects, 
and  is  the  only  species  of  its  genus. 

The  family  of  the  Tenebrionidae  only  contains  one  genus, 
and  that  genus  but  two  British  species.  These  Beetles  possess 
large  wings,  and  are  capable  of  flight,  the  elytra  not  being 
soldered  together  as  is  the  case  with  the  Blaptidse.  The  thorax 
is  squared,  and  its  base  is  as  wide  as  the  base  of  the  elytra. 

On  Woodcut  XV.  Fig.  3  is  drawn  the  typical  British  species, 
Tenebrio  molitor^  and  at  Fig.  /  on  the  same  woodcut  is  one  of 
the  antennae.  The  colour  of  this  Beetle  is  shining  blackish- 
brown,  and  the  body  is  rather  flat  and  very  thickly  punctured. 
Each  of  the  elytra  has  one  very  short  stria  next  to  the 
scutellum,  and  eight  others  reaching  to  the  apex.  It  lives  in 
corn-mills,  flour-stores,  bakehouses,  and  similar  localities,  and 
in  consequence  is  often  called  the  Flour  Beetle.  The  cream- 
colom'ed  larva  of  this  insect  is  shown  on  the  same  illustration, 
Fig.  c.  It  is  popularly  known  by  the  name  of  Meal-worm, 
under  which  title  it  is  largely  supplied  to  bird-fanciers,  who 
find  that  many  of  their  feathered  pets  will  not  live  unless  they 
have  a  constant  supply  of  insect  food,  such  as  is  afforded  by  the 
Meal-worm,  which,  in  consequence  of  the  perpetual  warmth  of 
its  home,  breeds  throughout  the  year.  From  April  to  June  is, 
however,  the  best  time  to  find  the  perfect  insect. 

The  second  species,  Tenebrio  obscurus,  is  quite  as  plentiful, 
and  so  much  resembles  its  congener,  that  the  two  are  generally 
confounded  together.  The  latter  insect  can,  however,  be  dis- 
tinguished by  its  colour,  which  is  dull  pitchy-black  and  not 
shining,  and  by  a  number  of  faint  tubercles  which  stud  the 
interstices  between  the  striae.  The  larva  of  this  species  is  pale- 
brown  instead  of  cream-colour.  Many  entomologists  think 
that  neither  of  these  insects  is  indigenous,  but  that  they  were 
both  introduced  in  cargoes  of  corn  or  flour. 

The  next  family  in  our  list  is  that  of  the  Meiandryadae. 
These  Beetles  have  small  antennae,  and  enormously-developed 
maxillary  palpi,  the  last  joint  especially,  not  only  being  long  but 
very  broad.     The  head  is  bent  down,  and  sometimes  simk  in 


OECHESIA,   OR   '  JUMPER.' 


147 


the  thorax  nearly  to  the  eyes,  so  that  it  cannot  be  seen  from 
above. 

Our  first  example  of  this  family  is  Orchesia  undulata,  which 
is  shown  on  Woodcut  XV.  Fig-.  5.  This  genus  can  be  known 
by  the  extraordinary  length  of  the  spines  of  the  hinder  tibiae, 
and  the  antennae  gradually  thickening  to  the  tip,  as  is  seen  at 


1.  Sitarls  humeralis.        2.  Clerus  apiarius. 
flavescens,  male.        5.  Ilhipiphonis  pai'acloxus. 
riis,  larva.        c.  Rhipiphorus,  antenna,  male, 
young  larva,  magnified. 


3.  Drilus  flavescens,  female.        4.  Drilus 

a.  Balaninns  nucitm,  head.        b.  Ehipipho- 

d.  Rhipiphorus,  antenna,  female.        e.  Meloo, 


Fig.  h.  The  word  Orchesia  signifies  'jumper,'  and  is  applied  to 
these  Beetles  because  they  possess  the  power  of  leaping,  a  power 
which  is  exercised  in  rather  a  ludicrous  way  when  they  are  turned 
out  of  their  homes,  skipping  and  popping  about  like  so  many 
sandhoppers.  The  head  and  thorax  of  this  species  are  rust-red, 
and  on  the  thorax  are  two  black  arches,  under  each  of  which  is 
a  black  dot.     The  colour  of  the  elytra  is  yellower  than  that  of 

L  2 


148  INSECTS   AT  HOME. 

the  thorax,  and  they  are  crossed  with  four  black  belts,  as  shown 
in  the  figure. 

These  beautiful  little  insects  live  in  boleti  and  rotten  wood. 
Of  another  species,  Orchesia  micans,  Mr.  Curtis  writes  as 
follows  : — '  I  once  found  this  insect  in  abundance  beneath 
moist  boleti  attached  to  the  trunks  of  elm-trees  in  Norfolk,  in 
the  month  of  June ;  and,  dropping  as  soon  as  the  boletus  was 
touched,  it  became  necessary  to  hold  a  net  beneath,  in  which 
they  fell  and  skipped  about  like  shrimps.'  It  is  probable  that 
the  very  long  spines  of  the  hinder  tibiae  afford  the  means  by 
which  these  insects  leap.  The  third,  and  last  British  species  of 
this  genus  is  Orchesia  minor. 

Our  next  example,  Melandrya  caraboides,  is  drawn  on 
Woodcut  XV.  Fig.  4.  In  this  genus  the  spines  of  the  hinder 
tibiae  are  not  lengthened  as  in  Orchesia;  the  body  is  long, 
rather  flattened,  and  slightly  narrowed  in  front.  The  maxillary 
palpi  have  the  last  joint  large  and  egg-shaped,  horny  on  the 
outside  and  fleshy  on  the  inside.     The  antenna  is  shown  at 

The  colour  of  this  insect  is  shining  blackish-blue,  and  the 
body  is  very  flat.  The  larva,  which  is  shown  at  Fig.  6,  burrows 
in  old  willow-trees,  and,  by  breaking  them  up,  both  the  larva 
and  perfect  Beetle  can  be  obtained  at  the  proper  time  of  year. 
It  is  scarcely  possible  to  secure  the  insect  without  breaking  up 
the  stump,  as  it  usually  lives  in  the  burrows  made  by  the  larvae, 
and  retreats  into  them  at  the  least  indication  of  danger. 
Sometimes,  however,  it  can  be  obtained  by  suddenly  tearing  off 
the  bark,  taking  care  to  place  under  it  a  net  or  sheet  of  paper, 
as  the  Beetles  have  a  habit  of  tucking  up  their  legs  and  falling 
to  the  ground,  when  they  have  no  burrows  into  which  they  can 
run.     They  are  winged,  and  can  fly  well. 

These  are  not  plentiful  insects,  but  the  present  species  is 
tolerably  common,  and  can  be  found  from  March  to  June. 
There  are  only  two  British  species  of  this  genus. 

The  family  of  the  Pyrochroidse  is  rendered  familiar  to  us  by 
means  of  the  well-known  Cardinal  Beetle  {Pyrochroa  coc~ 
dnea),  so  called  on  accovmt  of  its  beautiful  scarlet  colour. 
The  insect  is  represented  on  Woodcut  XVI.  Fig.  1. 


CAEDINAL  BEETLE, 


149 


The  Pyrochroidaj  are  known  by  the  distinct  neck,  the  rounded 
thorax,  and  the  form  of  the  antennae,  which  in  the  males  are 
boldly  toothed,  as  may  be  seen  at  Fig.  d.  The  mandibles  are 
deeply  notched  at  the  tips,  the  maxillary  palpi  have  the  last 
joint  rather  axe-shaped,  and  the  elytra  are  long-,  wide,  and 
cover  the  whole  of  the  abdomen.     The  typical  genus  has  the 


1.  PjTochroa  coccinea.        2.  Anaspis  ruficollis.        3.  Lytta  vesicatoria.       4.  Bnichus  n;fi- 
manus.  5.   Platyrhinus  latirostris.  a.  Pyrochroa,  larva.  b.   Platyrhinus,   laiva. 

C.   Bruchns,   larva.        d.  P\rochroa,  antenna.        e.  Lytta.  antenna.       /.  Bruchus,   antenna. 
g.  Platyrhinus,  antenna.        h.  Anaspis,  antenna.        t.  Lytta,  claws.       j.  Platyrhinus,  tarsus. 


antennae  longer  than  the  head  and  thorax,  £.nd  very  boldly 
'  pectinated,'  or  comb-like,  in  the  males,  in  which  sex  the  eyes 
are  distant  from  each  other.  '  Pectination '  is  nothing  more 
than  a  development  of  '  serration,'  or  saw-like  form,  each  of  the 
joints  being  drawn  out  into  -a  long  and  narrow  tooth,  sometimes 
on  one  side  only,  but  often  on  both  sides.  The  latter  form  of 
pectination  is  conspicuously  shown  in  many  moths,  as  we  shall 
see  when  we  come  to  treat  of  these  insects. 


150  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

The  forehead  of  the  Cardinal  Beetle  is  black,  and  there  is  a 
curved  rust-red  mark  between  the  eyes.  The  thorax  and  elytra 
are  rich  scarlet,  intensified  by  a  short  velvety  down  with  which 
the  surface  is  covered.  This  insect  is  as  plentiful  as  it  is 
handsome,  and  it  may  be  captured  throughout  the  summer. 
It  is  often  one  of  the  inmates  of  the  sweeping-net,  after  that 
implement  has  been  used  among  the  flowers  of  hedgerows. 
The  larva  is  shown  at  Fig.  a  of  Woodcut  XV.  It  is  whitish  in 
colour,  and  inhabits  decaying  willows. 

There  are  two  other  species  of  this  genus,  one  of  which, 
Pyrochroa  ruhens,  much  resembles  the  preceding  insect,  but 
may  be  distinguished  by  its  head,  which  is  entirely  black,  and 
by  the  scutellum,  which  is  black  instead  of  red. 

Of  the  family  of  the  Mordellidse  we  shall  take  two  ex- 
amples. These  are  very  odd-looking  Beetles,  and  can  at  once 
be  detected.  The  front  part  of  the  body  is  very  large  and 
deep,  and  the  body  rapidly  slopes  away  towards  the  tail,  where 
it  ends  almost  in  a  point.  The  head  is  bent  down,  and,  v>hen 
the  insect  is  alarmed,  is  tucked  under  the  thorax,  so  that  it  is 
hardly  visible.  The  first  pair  of  legs  are  the  shortest,  then 
come  the  middle  pair,  the  hinder  pair  being  the  longest  of  all. 
These  Beetles  are  plentiful  in  the  summer,  and  may  be  found  in 
any  numbers  on  the  flowers  of  umbelliferse.  The  guelder  rose 
is  also  a  favourite  flower  of  theirs.  In  order  to  take  them,  the 
best  plan  is  to  put  the  net  under  the  flowers,  and  then  tap  the 
flower-stem,  when  the  insects  will  loosen  their  hold  and  foil 
into  the  net.  They  are  very  active  creatures,  and  in  many  in- 
stances it  is  a  good  plan  to  make  a  swift,  sweeping  blow  at  the 
flower,  so  as  to  cut  it  oS",  and  leave  it,  together  with  its  insect  in- 
habitants, in  the  net. 

Our  first  example  is  Anaspis  ruficollis,  which  is  shown  on 
Woodcut  XVI.  Fig.  2.  In  this  genus  the  end  of  the  abdomen 
does  not  end  in  a  pointed  projection,  or  '  style,'  and  there  is 
a  distinct  scutellum ;  the  tarsi  of  the  first  and  middle  pairs 
of  legs  have  the  last  joint  but  one  with  two  lobes,  and  the 
hinder  tibiae  have  long  spurs  at  their  tips.  The  present  species 
is  black,  but  covered  with  a  short  dusky  down,  the  thorax 
taking  a  warm-yellow  tint.  The  mouth,  base  of  antennae,  and 
legs  are  yellowish.     This  is  a  tolerably  common  species,  and 


THE  RHIPIPHOEUS.  151 

is  distributed  throughout  the  whole  of  England.     It  is  to  be 
found  in  flowers. 

We  now  come  to  a  very  extraordinary  Beetle,  named  RM/pi- 
phorus  paradoxus.  A  figure  of  the  insect  is  given  on  Wood- 
cut XV*.  Fig.  5.  In  this  genus,  of  which  there  is  only  one 
British  species,  the  head  is  not  visible  when  the  insect  is  viewed 
from  above,  and  the  antennfB  are  doubly  pectinated  in  the  male 
and  singly  in  the  female.  The  antennae  of  the  two  sexes  are 
shown  on  the  same  woodcut — that  of  the  male  at  Fig.  b  and  of 
the  female  at  Fig.  c.  The  generic  name  Rhipiphorus  is  formed 
of  two  Grreek  words,  signifying  '  fan-bearing,'  and  is  given  to 
the  Beetle  in  consequence  of  the  fan-like  antennae  of  the  male. 
The  thorax  is  much  arched,  and  lengthened  behind  into  a  point 
that  takes  the  place  of  the  scutellum.  The  elytra  are  not 
closed  throughout  their  length,  but  separate  at  the  apex,  where 
they  are  narrowed  into  points,  the  wings  extending  beyond  their 
tips.  The  colour  of  the  head  is  black,  and  so  is  the  middle  of 
the  thorax,  the  lobe  on  either  side  being  brick-colom-ed.  There 
is  a  bold  channel  along  the  middle  of  the  thorax.  In  the 
male  insect  the  elytra  are  yellowish,  changing  to  black  at  the 
apex,  while  in  the  female  they  are  almost  entirely  black,  with 
a  slight  yellow  tinge.  The  abdomen  is  orange.  The  female 
Beetle  is  rather  larger  than  the  male. 

So  much  for  the  form  and  colour  of  this  Beetle,  and  we  will 
now  go  into  its  singular  history. 

Until  comparatively  late  days,  this  insect  was  one  of  our  very 
rarest  Beetles,  only  one  or  two  specimens  having  been  captured, 
and  nothing  known  of  their  food  or  mode  of  life,  this  ignorance 
of  their  transformations  being  the  reason  for  the  specific  name 
paradoxus,  or  '  puzzling.'  Accidentally,  however,  its  true 
habitation  was  discovered,  and  since  that  time  it  cannot  be  rec- 
koned among  our  rarest  insects,  though  the  Beetle-hunter  is 
always  glad  to  come  on  specimens  either  of  the  larva,  the  pupa, 
or  the  perfect  insect.  It  is,  in  fact,  one  of  the  parasitic 
Beetles,  taking  up  its  abode  in  wasps'  nests — a  very  strano-e 
locality,  considering  its  object  there,  and  the  terrible  weapons 
with  which  its  involuntary  hosts  are  armed. 

Even  after  it  was  known  that  the  Rhipiphorus  was  parasitic 
on  the  wasp,  the  insect  had  still  a  right  to  the  name  paradoxus, 


152  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

for  entomologists  were  undecided  as  to  its  food,  though  they 
conjectured  that,  like  many,  though  not  all,  parasitic  Beetles, 
it  fed  upon  wasps  or  their  larvae.  This  question  was,  however, 
completely  set  at  rest  by  the  late  Mr.  S.  Stone,  in  a  series  of 
experiments  on  insects  that  were  parasitic  on  the  bees  and 
wasps.  Some  of  Mr.  Stone's  extraordinary  achievements  with 
these  insects  will  be  mentioned  in  connection  witli  the  Hymeno- 
ptera.  In  the  '  Proceedings  of  the  Entomological  Society,'  Jan. 
2,  1865,  Mr.  Stone  made  a  series  of  valuable  communications 
on  this  subject,  which  ought  to  be  given  in  his  own  words. 
After  mentioning  that  he  had  previously  found  the  pupge  and 
male  and  female  Beetles,  but  could  not  detect  a  single  larva, 
he  proceeds  as  follows  : — 

'On  the  19th  I  was  more  fortunate,  for,  on  taking  out  a  nest 
of  V.  vulgaris  and  proceeding  to  open  the  closed-up  cells,  I 
foimd  a  larva  of  the  parasite  firmly  attached  to  the  full-grown  ■ 
larva  of  the  wasp  ;  the  mouth  of  the  former  buried  in  the  body 
of  the  latter  just  below  the  head ;  its  neck  bent  over  that  of 
its  victim,  whose  body  appeared  to  be  tightly  compressed  by 
that  of  its  destroyer,  showing  the  latter  to  be  possessed  of  a 
considerable  amount  of  muscular  power.  It  was  of  minute  size 
when  discovered,  and  appeared  to  have  only  very  recently 
fastened  upon  its  victim ;  but  so  voracious  was  its  appetite, 
and  so  rapid  its  growth,  that  in  the  course  of  the  following 
forty-eight  hours  it  attained  its  full  size,  having  consumed 
every  particle  of  its  prey  with  the  exception  of  the  skin  and 
mandibles,  which,  from  observations  I  have  since  been  enabled 
to  make,  these  creatures  retain  in  their  grasp  even  after  they 
have  passed  into  the  pupa  state.  They  scarcely  appear  to  cease 
eating,  except  now  and  then  for  a  minute  or  so,  from  the  time 
they  first  begin  to  feed  till  they  have  become  full-grown.  The 
larva  is  a  singular-looking  one.  The  head  is  bent  forward 
under  the  body.  Between  the  segments  it  is  more  deeply 
furrowed  than  any  larva  with  which  I  am  acquainted.  A 
longitudinal  furrow  extends  down  the  back  from  the  head  to 
the  anal  extremity,  cutting  each  segment  across.  The  skin, 
during  life,  throughout  the  whole  course  of  this  furrow,  is  per- 
fectly transparent,  so  that  the  workings  of  the  interaal  organs 
may  be  plainly  seen.  The  body  of  the  larva,  while  alive,  has  the 
appearance  of  a  thin  transparent  skin  filled  with  minute  par- 


MR.   STONE'S  NOTES.  153 

• 

tides  of  curd.  These  appearances  vanish  after  death,  when  the 
body  becomes  dense,  and  has  an  appearance  o^  solidity  about  it 
which  it  had  not  before.  Several  pupse  of  the  parasite  were 
found  in  the  nest,  as  well  as  examples  of  the  perfect  insect.  It 
also  contained  a  number  of  cocoons  spun  by  the  larvae  of  Ano- 
malon  Vesparum,  with  the  larvse  still  unchanged  inside  the 
cocoons. 

'  Between  the  above  date  and  September  3,  I  took  out  thir- 
teen more  nests  of  V.  vulgaris,  which  contained  examples  of 
Ehipiphorus  either  in  the  larva,  pupa,  or  perfect  state.  In  one 
which  had  been  destroyed  by  means  of  gas  tar  a  few  days  be- 
fore I  took  it  out,  I  was  fortunate  in  discovering  a  small  larva 
of  Ehipiphorus  firmly  attached  to  its  victim.  Both  were  dead 
and  had  become  partially  dried,  so  that  when  immersed  in 
spirits  they  did  not  separate,  but  remained  attached  just  as 
they  were  before  death.  These  are  interesting,  because  in 
them  may  be  seen  the  exact  way  in  which  the  parasitic  larva 
fastens  on  its  prey.  In  another  which  I  took  out  on  Septem- 
ber 2,  I  found,  on  opening  some  closed-up  cells  appropriated  to 
queens,  one  larva  and  one  pupa,  which  diflfered  in  nothing  that 
I  could  discover  from  those  of  Ehipiphorus  found  in  the  cells  of 
workers,  except  that  they  were  something  like  double  the  size ; 
in  fact,  about  as  much  larger  as  the  larvae  and  pupae  of  queen 
wasps  are  larger  than  those  of  workers. 

'  Until  the  present  summer  I  had  not  met  with  a  specimen 
of  Ehipiphorus  since  the  year  1859,  although  I  had  made  dili- 
gent search  for  it  every  succeeding  summer.  What  had  be- 
come of  it  all  that  time,  and  how  it  was  that  all  at  once  it 
made  its  appearance  in  such  numbers,  are  questions  more  easily 
asked  than  answered.  Where  it  occurs  it  appears  to  be  very 
local,  for  I  have  never  met  with  it,  except  in  one  particular 
part  of  Cokethorpe  Park,  within  a  space  of  ground  about  foxu- 
furlongs  in  length  by  two  in  width.  I  have  searched  yearly 
for  it  in  nests  obtained  from  other  parts  of  the  park  and  the 
surroimding  neighbourhood,  but  always  in  vain.' 

The  reader  will  remember  that  the  female  Beetle  is,  as  a 
rule,  larger  than  the  male.  For  some  years  it  was  taken  for 
granted  that  the  larvae  of  the  female  Beetles  fed  upon  those  of 
female  wasps,  i.e.  the  largest  larvae  in  the  largest  cells,  and 
thereby  obtained  their  superior  development.     Mr.  Stone,  how- 


154  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

ever,  is  disposed  to  take  a  diiSferent  view  of  the  case,  as  will 
be  seen  from  the  following  statement : — 

'  It  is  certainly  not  the  fact  that  female  Rhipiphori  are  found 
exclusively  in  female  cells  of  wasps,  and  males  in  those  of 
workers ;  for  I  have  bred  scores  upon  scores  of  both  males  and 
females  from  the  cells  of  workers  ;  nor  can  I  perceive  any  very 
great  difference  in  the  size  of  the  sexes,  although  the  females 
are  unquestionably  somewhat  larger,  and  much  more  plump  in 
appearance,  than  the  males ;  still  there  is  nothing  approaching 
the  vast  disproportion  in  size  which  exists  between  full-grown 
larv«  found  occupying  the  cells  of  queens,  and  those  found  in 
the  cells  of  workers.  The  former  must  produce  specimens  of 
gigantic  size. 

'Then  there  must  either  be  two  distinct  species,  or  there 
must  be  a  permanently  large  and  small  variety,  the  former 
invariably  depositing  its  eggs  in  the  cells  of  queens,  the  latter 
in  those  of  workers ;  or,  if  there  is  only  one  species,  and  no 
permanent  variety  of  the  insect,  it  must  be  that  the  difference 
in  size  arises  solely  from  the  fact,  that  some  larva3  have  been 
placed,  or  by  a  piece  of  good  luck  have  placed  themselves,  in  a 
situation  in  which  they  have  met  with  an  abundant  supply  of 
food,  thus  enabling  them  to  attain  the  full  and  proper  size, 
and  so  produce  Ehipiphorus  as  it  ought  to  be  ;  while  the 
others  must  be  looked  upon  as  diminutive  examples  of  the 
insect,  dwarfed  and  stunted  by  the  limited  and  insufficient 
suj^ly  of  food  allotted  to  the  larvae  from  which  they  were 
produced.' 

Everyone  who  has  walked  in  the  country,  and  used  his  eyes, 
must  have  noticed  the  well-known  Oil  Beetles,  so  called  from 
their  culi-Ious  habit  of  ejecting  a  drop  of  clear  yellowish  oil 
from  the  joints  of  their  legs  when  they  are  handled.  One  of 
these  Beetles,  Meloe  cicatricosus,  is  shown  on  Plate  VI.,  the 
male  being  represented  at  Fig.  3,  and  the  female  at  Fig.  4. 
The  colour  of  these  Beetles  is  dull,  dark  indigo-blue,  and  they 
are  wingless,  slow-moving  insects,  especially  the  females,  so 
that  they  have  no  chance  of  escaping  from  capture,  to'  which 
their  very  conspicuous  shape  renders  them  liable. 

The  life  history  of  the  Oil  Beetle  is  a  very  curious  one.  The 
female   Beetle  deposits    in  little  holes  in  the  ground  a  vast 


THE   OIL  BEETLE.  155 

number  of  the  tiniest  imaginable  yellow  eggs,  placing  several 
thousands  in  each  hole.  As  soon  as  the  eggs  are  hatched,  the 
larvae  make  their  way  into  the  open  air.  They  are  most  ex- 
traordinary creatures,  and  no  one  who  saw  the  newly-hatched 
and  the  full-gro^vn  larva  of  this  Beetle  would  ever  imagine 
that  they  could  be  the  same  creature,  and  in  the  same  stage  of 
metamorphosis.  They  are  scarcely  so  large  as  the  semicolon 
(;)  used  in  this  work,  and  are  long-bodied,  furnished  with  six 
long  and  prehensile  legs,  and  gifted  with  great  activity.  A 
magnified  figm-e  of  one  of  these  larva  is  shown  on  Woodcut 
XV*.  Fig.  e.  As  soon  as  they  reach  the  open  air,  they  climb 
the  stems  of  flowers  and  gain  the  blossoms,  where  they  lie  in 
wait.  Presently  a  bee  comes  to  gather  honey  or  pollen,  when 
the  little  larva  leaves  the  flower,  climbs  upon  the  bee,  and 
clings  to  its  body  with  its  clasping  legs. 

The  bee,  unconscious  of  its  new  bm-den,  goes  as  usual  to  its 
nest,  when  the  larva  quits  its  hold,  and  remains  in  the  nest. 
The  parent  bee  being  gone,  thinking  that  everything  is  right, 
the  Meloe  larva  devours  the  ^g^^  and  then  throws  ofl:'  its  first 
larval  form  in  order  to  assume  another,  in  which  it  some- 
what resembles  the  grub  of  the  cockchafer.  It  now  turns  its 
attention  to  the  food  prepared  by  the  bee  for  its  young,  and 
finds  therein  just  sufficient  nutriment  to  carry  it  throuoh  its 
larval  condition.  One  of  these  larvge,  nearly  full-fed,  is  shown 
on  Plate  VI.  Fig.  5.  The  reader  will  see  that  it  bears  not  the 
least  resemblance  to  the  long-bodied,  quick-legged  larva  in  the 
first  stage  of  growth. 

To  prepare  these  insects  for  the  cabinet  requires  some  little 
care  and  patience,  especially  with  the  females,  for  when  the  crea- 
ture dies,  the  large  soft  abdomen  begins  to  shrink,  and  when  it 
is  quite  dry,  the  abdomen  is  not  one-third  its  proper  size,  is  full 
of  wrinkles,  and  crumpled  out  of  all  shape.  The  only  plan, 
therefore,  is  to  stuff  it  >vith  cotton  wool.  The  usual  mode  of 
so  doing  is,  to  cut  a  slit  on  the  under  side,  remove  the  contents 
of  the  abdomen,  and  replace  them  with  cotton  wool.  I  have, 
however,  found  this  plan  scarcely  satisfactory,  inasmuch  as  the 
edges  of  the  slit  are  apt  to  recede  from  each  other,  so  that  the 
cotton  wool  is  visible.  There  is  another  plan,  certainly  in- 
volving more  trouble,  but  with  far  better  results.  With 
sharp  scissors  cut  off  the  abdomen  altogether,  squeeze  and  draw 


156  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

out  its  contents  gently  by  the  hole  which  is  made  at  its  base 
by  the  blades  of  the  scissors  ;  through  the  same  aperture  in- 
troduce the  cotton  wool,  a  very  little  at  a  time,  so  that  you 
can  exactly  restore  the  original  shape  of  the  abdomen,  taking 
care  to  stuff  it  a  trifle  larger  than  it  was  originally,  because 
the  skin  will  contract  a  little  on  the  cotton  wool.  Now,  stick 
the  point  of  a  needle  perpendicularly  into  the  setting-board, 
and  pass  the  eye  into  the  abdomen,  so  as  to  prevent  it  from 
losing  shape  by  lying  down.  Set  the  other  half  of  the  Beetle 
independently,  and,  when  both  parts  are  quite  dry,  join  them 
with  a  tiny  drop  of  coaguline.  If  this  be  properly  done,  there 
will  not  be  the  slightest  mark  of  any  junction,  and  the  speci- 
men will  always  look  as  well  as  it  did  when  living,  and  preserve 
its  sofi,  rounded  contour. 

If  ever  there  were  a  Beetle  which  was  incapable  of  fighting, 
that  insect  would  seem  to  be  the  Meloe.  Yet  Mr.  F.  Smith 
discovered  that  it  not  only  could  fight,  but  was  ready  to  fight, 
and  that  to  the  death.  He  had  captiired  near  Margate  a  nimi- 
ber  of  examples  of  a  rare  species  called  Meloe  riigosus,  as  they 
were  crawling  near  the  nest  of  the  bee  on  which  they  were 
parasitic.  He  put  them  into  a  box,  thinking  no  harm  of  them, 
but  found  that  on  the  second  day  of  their  captivity  a  'free 
fight'  had  taken  place  among  them,  the  result  of  which  was 
that  some  were  killed  and  reduced  to  fragments,  the  greater 
number  of  the  survivors  had  lost  either  legs  or  antennae  or 
both,  and  out  of  two  dozen  Beetles  only  four  escaped  without 
injury.  It  was  difficult  to  account  for  this  extraordinary  de- 
velopment of  pugnacity,  for  the  females  had  already  deposited 
their  eo-gs  ;  so  that  the  casus  belli  was  not  that  which  is  usual 
among  all  the  lower  animals,  insects  included,  namely,  posses- 
sion of  the  female. 

We  are  still  among  some  very  strange  Beetles,  and  that  of 
which  we  now  treat  is  so  strange,  that  for  very  many  years  it 
was  not  known  to  be  a  Beetle,  some  observers  having  thought 
it  to  be  a  hymenopterous  insect,  some  taking  it  for  the  sole  repre- 
sentative of  a  separate  order,  under  the  name  of  Strepsiptera, 
but  no  one  discovering  that  it  was  in  reality  a  Beetle  belonging 
to  the  family  of  the  Meloidse,  a  tribe  of  the  Oil  Beetles.  These 
insects  can  be  distinguished   by  the   short  neck,  and  by  the 


THE  STYLOPS.  157 

peculiar  structure  of  the  claws,  each  of  which  is  furnished  with 
a  small  supplementary  claw  on  its  lower  surface. 

On  Plate  XI.  tlie  reader  will  see  near  the  Andrena  some 
cm'ious  little  insects,  which  evidently  do  not  belong  to  the 
order  of  insects  represented  on  the  plate.  These  are  the  re- 
markable insects  that  have  just  been  mentioned,  and  Avhich  are 
known  by  the  name  of  Stylops  Melittce.  The  discovery  of  the 
Stylops  is  due  to  the  late  Mr.  Kirby.  He  had  often  observed 
little  projections  from  between  the  segments  of  the  abdomen 
in  certain  bees  belonging  to  the  genus  Andrena,  but  thought 
that  they  were  simply  the  little  mites  or  acari  that  beset 
not  only  bees  but  Beetles.  He  passed  a  pin  under  it,  and, 
on  trying  to  disengage  it,  drew  from  the  body  of  the  bee  a 
little  whitish  grub,  the  head  of  which  was  projecting  from 
between  two  of  the  segments,  the  whole  of  its  body  being  buried 
in  the  abdomen  of  the  bee. 

Being  naturally  surprised  at  such  a  result,  he  tried  another 
specimen,  and  this  time  found  that  he  had  hit  upon  a  pupa 
just  ready  to  cast  its  envelope.  '  The  reader  may  imagine  how 
greatly  my  astonishment  was  increased,  when,  after  I  had 
drawn  it  out  but  a  little  way,  I  saw  its  skin  burst,  and  a  head 
as  black  as  ink,  with  large  staring  eyes,  and  antennae  consisting 
of  two  branches,  break  forth,  and  move  itself  briskly  from  side 
to  side.  It  looked  like  a  little  imp  of  darkness  just  emerged 
from  the  infernal  regions.  I  was  impatient  to  become  better 
acquainted  with  so  singular  a  creature.  When  it  was  com- 
pletely disengaged,  and  I  had  secured  it  from  making  its  escape, 
I  set  myself  to  examine  it  as  closely  as  possible ;  and  I  found, 
after  a  careful  inquiry,  that  I  had  not  only  got  a  nondescript,  but 
also  an  insect  of  a  new  genus,  whose  very  order  seemed  dubious.' 

Since  that  time,  much  care  has  been  given  to  the  investiga- 
tion of  these  insects,  and  it  has  been  found  that  several  genera 
inhabit  England,  the  whole  constituting  the  family  Stylopidse. 
The  word  Stylops  is  Greek,  and  signifies  '  stalk-eyed.'  It  is 
given  to  these  insects  because  some  of  them  have  their  eyes 
set  on  footstalks  of  greater  or  lesser  length.  These  are  also 
remarkable  for  the  very  few  facets  which  they  contain.  The 
compound  eyes  of  most  insects  may  count  their  facets  by  thou- 
sands, and  in  many  cases  by  tens  of  thousands  ;  but  in  the 
Stylopidse  they  are  counted  only  by  tens,  and  in  one  species, 


158  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

Etenchus  tenuicornis,  each  compound  eye  only  contains  fifteen 
facets  or  lenses. 

The  antennse  are  very  remarkable,  being  doubly  branched, 
so  that  the  insect  seems  to  have  four  antennae  instead  of  two. 
These  little  insects  fly  well,  the  second  pair  of  wings  being 
enormously  large  in  proportion  to  the  body,  and  opening  like 
a  wide  fan,  the  anterior  and  posterior  margins  reaching  to  the 
head  and  tail  of  the  insect.  When  flying,  the  Stylops  has  a 
peculiar  milky  look  about  the  wings,  not  easy  to  describe,  but 
easily  to  be  recognised  when  once  seen.  Wings  of  such  mag- 
nitude necessarily  require  a  very  large  thorax,  in  order  to  give 
support  to  the  muscles  which  move  them ;  and  accordingly  we 
find  that  the  thorax  is  nearly  twice  as  large  as  the  head  and 
abdomen  together,  the  latter  part  of  the  insect  looking  quite 
insignificant  when  compared  with  the  enormous  thorax  to 
which  it  is  attached,  and  of  which  it  almost  seems  to  be  an 
unimportant  appendage,  instead  of  being,  as  it  is,  the  seat  of 
the  chiefly  vital  organs. 

As  might  be  expected,  the  part  of  the  thorax  which  bears 
the  hind  pair  of  wings,  namely,  the  metathorax,  is  very  largely 
developed,  while  that  which  bears  the  little  attenuated  elytra 
is  comparatively  small.  These  members  are  indeed  so  small, 
that  they  have  been  called  pseudelytra,  or  false  elytra.  Many 
species  of  bees  and  wasps  are  infested  with  this  singular  para- 
site, though  the  genus  Andrena  seems  to  be  its  favom-ite  prey. 

With  two  more  examples  of  the  Heteromera,  we  close  our 
notice  of  this  group.  One  is  the  Blister  Beetle  or  Spanish 
Fly  {Lytta  vesicatoria),  which  is  shown  on  Woodcut  XVI. 
Fig.  3.  This  insect  is  well  known  for  its  use  in  medicine,  the 
peculiar  substance  contained  in  it  being  highly  inflamma- 
tory, and  raising  blisters  upon  the  human  skin.  This  sub- 
stance is  called  cantharidin,  and,  when  separated  from  the  in- 
sect which  produces  it,  takes  the  form  of  white  flat  crystals, 
which  can  be  dissolved  in  alcohol,  but  not  in  water. 

This  genus  is  known  by  the  long  narrow  body  and  elytra, 
the  two  long  wings,  and  the  egg-like  form  of  the  last  joint  of 
the  maxillary  palpi.  The  colour  of  the  Blister  Beetle  is  rich- 
green,  mostly  glossed  with  gold  or  copper.  The  elytra  are  very 
filightly  wrinkled,  and  upon  each  elytron  there  are  two  ridges. 


BLISTER  BEETLE.  159 

Entomologists  believe  that  this  is  not  an  indigenous  insect, 
but  has  been  introduced  from  the  Continent.  It  occurs  much 
too  sparingly  in  this  country  to  be  of  any  practical  use,  and 
our  chief  supply  is  obtained  from  Spain,  whence  the  popular 
name  of  Spanish  Fly.  In  England  it  is  usually  found  in  the 
southern  counties,  the  ash  being  its  favoured  tree,  and  when  it 
is  seen  at  all,  it  generally  occurs  in  some  profusion.  Should 
the  Beetle-hunter  capture  any  of  these  insects,  he  is  advised  to 
be  very  cautious  how  he  handles  them.  He  should  carefully 
avoid  allowing  his  fingers  to  come  near  his  eyes,  and  should 
wash  them  as  soon  as  he  has  finished  his  task.  Indeed,  with 
these  Beetles,  the  less  the  fingers,  and  the  more  the  forceps,  are 
used,  the  better  for  the  operator. 

On  Woodcut  XV*.  Fig.  1,  is  drawn  a  very  remarkable,  and 
in  this  country  very  rare,  insect,  called  Sitaris  muralis,  a 
Beetle  which  derives  its  specific  title  from  the  fact  that  it  is 
parasitic  on  certain  solitary  bees  which  inhabit  holes  in  walls. 
Bees  belonging  to  the  genus  Anthophora  seem  to  be  chiefly 
the  objects  of  its  attacks.  On  the  Continent  it  is  comparatively 
common,  and  it  is  from  Continental  entomologists  that  we 
have  received  our  principal  knowledge  of  the  Beetle  and  its 
habits. 

The  Beetle  is  known  by  the  elytra,  which  are  very  long  and 
narrowed  to  the  apex,  but  do  not  cross  each  other.  There  are 
two  wings,  and  the  antennae  are  quite  simple,  without  pectina- 
tion or  serration.  The  colour  of  the  insect  is  very  plain,  the 
body  being  black  and  the  elytra  yellowish-brown. 

The  female  Sitaris  acts  in  some  respects  like  the  female 
Meloe,  for  she  deposits  her  eggs  in  packets  containing  several 
thousands  each.  She  does  not,  however,  lay  them  in  the 
ground,  but  places  them  at  the  very  entrance  of  the  holes  in 
which  the  bees  have  taken  up  their  residence.  The  eggs  are 
hatched,  and  the  little  larvae,  which  have  larger  bodies  and 
shorter  legs  than  those  of  the  Meloe,  enter  the  nest,  and  there 
undergo  their  transformations. 

Mr.  Westwood  mentions  some  curious  discoveries  communi- 
cated to  him  by  M.  Audouin  : — '  In  examining  the  interior  of  a 
nest  of  a  large  Anthophora,  very  common  near  Se\Tes,  he 
detected  one  of  the  bee-larvae  in  its  cell,  with  the  ir.teiiji-  of 


160  INSECTS   AT  HOME. 

the  body  entirely  consumed,  a  thin  pellicle  only  remaining; 
and  from  within  this  bladder-like  exuviae  he  extracted  a  female 
Sitaris,  which  had  evidently  therein  undergone  its  transforma- 
tion. He  did  not,  however,  observe  whether  the  pellicle  of 
the  larva  or  of  the  pupa  of  the  Sitaris  was  contained  within 
the  pellicle  of  the  bee-larva.  He  subsequently  found  more 
specimens  of  the  Sitaris  at  large  in  the  nests  of  this  bee,  and 
observed  one  of  the  females,  whilst  in  a  state  of  captivity, 
deposit  her  eggs,  from  which  were  hatched  the  minute  larvae.' 
Mr.  Westwood  then  proceeds  to  point  out  the  distinctions  be- 
tween the  larva  of  Meloe  and  that  of  Sitaris.  The  two  species 
of  Anthophora  in  which  this  Beetle  is  generally  found  are  not 
natives  of  England. 


CHAPTER  Xr. 

REYNCHOPHORA,    OR   WEEVILS. 

liiESE  terribly  destructive  insects  do  not  attain  any  great  ai- 
oiensions  in  England,  but  they  make  up  for  their  diminutive 
bize  by  their  enormous  numbers.  How  many  species  are  known 
to  inhabit  this  country  it  is  impossible  to  say,  as  new  species 
— especially  those  of  small  size — are  continually  being  added  to 
our  lists  ;  but  if  we  say  that  about  five  hundred  British  species 
are  at  present  known,  we  shall  be  very  near  their  number. 

The  name  Rhynchophora  is  formed  from  two  Greek  words, 
signifying  '  snout-bearer,'  and  is  given  to  these  insects  because 
the  head  is  very  much  prolonged  and  narrowed,  in  some  species 
looking  like  the  long  curved  beak  of  the  ibis  or  ciulew.  The 
mouth  and  its  accompanying  organs  are  always  at  the  ena  of 
this  beak,  and  in  some  species  of  Weevils  the  resemblance  to 
the  head  and  mouth  of  the  Porcupine  Ant-eater  of  Australia  is 
really  startling.  The  name  of  Tetramera,  or  '  four-jointed,'  was 
formerly  given  to  this  group,  because  its  members  appear  to  have 
only  four  joints  in  the  tarsi.  Mr.  Westwood,  however,  with  his 
wonted  acuteness,  pointed  out  that  there  were  really  five  joints, 
the  missing  joint  being  microscopically  small,  and  hidden 
under  the  lobes  of  the  third  joint.  Several  of  these  tarsi  may 
be  seen  on  Woodcut  XVII.  The  three  basal  joints  of  the 
tarsus  are  always  furnished  with  a  thick  pad  beneath,  and  may 
be  seen  by  examining  the  feet  of  any  of  our  common  Weevils 
with  a  pocket-lens. 

The  antennae  are  always  set  well  in  front  on  the  '  rostrum,' 
or  beak,  and  in  most,  though  not  in  all,  species  are  furnished 
with  a  very  long  basal  joint,  so  that  they  are  elbowed,  or  '  ge- 
niculated,'  according  to  the  scientific  term.  I  shall  in  this 
work  always  use  the  English  forms  of  such  words,  provided  that 
hey  express  the  same  idea  as  the  scientific  term,  which  will, 

M 


162  n^SECTS  AT  HOilE. 

however,  be  always  explained.  For  the  future,  therefore,  I 
shall  employ  the  English  word  beak  instead  of  the  Latin 
rostrum,  and  the  word  elbowed  in  preference  to  the  Sanscrito- 
Graeco-Latinised-Angiified  word  geniculated. 

According  to  the  system  which  is  at  present  in  vogue,  the 
Weevils  are  divided  into  two  sections — namely,  those  in  which 
tlie  antennae  are  not  elbower^,  and  those  in  which  they  are. 
The  former  are  called  Orthoceri,  or  '  straight-horned,'  and  the 
latter  Go7iatcceri,  or  '  knee-horned.'  We  begin  with  the  former, 
and  take  fo^  ovx  first  example  of  these  Beetles  the  Red-footed 
Weevil  (Bruchus  rufimanus),  which  is  drawn  on  Woodcut 
XVI.  Fig.  4,  its  antennas  being  shown  at  /.  This  insect  be- 
longs to  the  family  Bruchidae,  which  have  antennae  rather 
serrated,  and  becoming  gradually  thicker  towards  the  apex. 
The  elytra  do  not  reach  to  the  end  of  the  abdomen,  and  the 
basal  joint  of  the  tarsus  is  long  and  cui-ved.  In  the  genus 
Bruchus  the  antennae  are  rather  delicate,  and  the  elytra  are 
oblong  and  squared. 

The  Red-footed  Weevil  is  rather  variable  both  in  size  and 
colour,  but  is  usually  as  follows : — The  general  hue  is  black. 
Upon  the  thorax,  which  has  its  edges  slightly  waved,  there  are 
two  white  spots  upon  the  disc,  and  a  large  triangular  spot 
about  the  middle  of  the  base,  some  ashy-white  hairs  being 
scattered  on  the  disc.  The  elytron  is  striated  and  punctured, 
and  has  a  number  of  white  spots  scattered  over  it,  and  a 
whitish-grey  streak  near  the  scutellum.  The  tip  of  the  abdo- 
men is  white,  with  the  exception  of  two  dun-coloured  spots. 

All  the  species  of  this  genus  are  exceedingly  destructive, 
feeding  upon  the  seeds  of  beans,  peas,  and  similar  vegetables, 
very  often  doing  enormous  damage  by  dint  of  numbers,  in 
spite  of  their  small  individual  size.  The  reader  may  perhaps 
have  had  occasion  to  notice  that,  when  peas  are  newly  shelled, 
one  frequently  occurs  in  which  a  hole  or  a  groove  is  scooped, 
and  which  is  tenanted  by  a  little  white  maggot.  These 
maggots  are  almost  always  the  larvae  of  this  or  some  allied 
species  of  Weevil.  One  of  these  larvae  is  shown,  much  mag- 
nified, on  Woodcut  XVI.  Fig.  c.  They  remain  in  the  seeds 
until  they  have  attained  their  perfect  condition,  when  they 
escape  t]i rough  a  round  hole  made  for  the  purpose  while  in 
the  larval  state.     Eight  species  are  acknowledged  to    be  in- 


IMMIGRANT  BEETLES.  163 

digenous  to  Great  Britain.  Many  other  species  have  been 
placed  on  the  British  lists,  but  entomologists  have  decided 
that  they  have  been  introduced  into  England  in  cargoes  of 
peas,  beans,  or  corn,  and  therefore  ought  not  to  be  admitted  as 
genuine  British  insects.  Indeed,  it  could  be  wished  that  the 
law  of  extradition  could  be  extended  to  insects,  and  that  these 
Weevils,  together  with  the  cockroach  and  sundry  other  de- 
structive and  noxious  insects,  could  be  restored  to  the  country 
whence  they  came. 

The  family  of  the  Anthribidae  will  be  represented  by  one 
example.  This  family  has  also  eleven  joints  in  the  antennse, 
the  whole  of  which  is  formed  of  three  joints,  as  is  seen  at 
Fig.  g,  and  the  second  joint  of  the  tarsi  has  two  lobes,  as 
shown  at  Fig.  j.  Our  example  of  this  family  is  Platyrhinua 
latirostris,  Woodcut  XVI.  Fig.  5,  and  is  the  only' British 
specimen  of  its  genus.  The  generic  name  of  this  insect,  signi- 
fying 'broad-nosed,'  points  out  one  of  the  leading  peculiarities 
of  this  geiflas,  which  has  the  head  so  wide  and  short  that  it 
scarcely  seems  to  belong  to  the  long-snouted  Rhynchophora. 
In  this  genus  the  two  basal  joints  of  the  antenna3  are  short, 
and  the  club  is  a  ve^y  bold  and  abrupt  one,  like  the  knob  at 
the  end  of  a  life-preserver.  The  elytra  reach  to  the  end  of  the 
body,  and  the  antennae  are  longer  in  the  male  than  in  the 
female. 

The  present  species  is  oblong  in  shape,  and  the  general 
colom-  is  black.  The  short  beak  is  ashen-white,  changing  ta 
black  at  the  tip,  and  the  thorax  is  punctured  and  boldly 
wrinkled.  The  elytra  are  adorned  with  rows  of  punctures,  and 
are  black  in  colour,  except  towards  the  apes,  on  which  are  two 
black  dots,  and  in  some  species  two  or  three  little  dusky 
streaks.  The  abdomen  is  white,  changing  to  black  at  the 
sides,  and  the  legs  are  black,  but  have  a  greyish-white  down  on 
them. 

This  is  not  a  plentiful  insect,  and  requires  much  searching 
before  it  can  be  found,  owing  to  its  dusky  colours,  and  its  in- 
genious mode  of  selecting  such  localities  as  harmonize  best 
^th  its  mottled  surftice.  Heaps  of  dry  sticks,  for  example, 
are  places  where  an  insect-hunter  may  expect,  if  anywhere,  to 
♦ind  this  Beetle.     It  also  clings  to  the  trunks  of  ash,  alder,  and 


H   2 


164  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

birch-trees.  If,  however,  one  specimen  be  found,  a  number 
will  generally  reward  the  collector,  for,  although  it  is  not 
widely  distributed,  it  generally  occurs  plentifully  in  some 
favoured  locality.  The  ash-tree  is  chosen  by  this  Beetle  on 
account  of  the  fungi  which  grow  upon  it,  and  which  form  its 
food.  When  it  cannot  find  a  convenient  fungus,  it  is  obliged 
to  content  itself  with  burrowing  into  decaying  wood  or  beneath 
the  dead  bark.  On  Woodcut  XVI.  Fig.  b,  the  larva  of  this 
Beetle  is  shown. 

Of  the  Attelabidae  we  shall  take  two  examples,  the  first  be- 
longing to  the  typical  genus,  and  known  by  the  name  of 
Attelabus  curculionoides,  Woodcut  XVII.  Fig.  1. 

In  this  family  the  head  is  more  elongated,  and  the  beak  is 
rather  widened  towards  the  end.  The  antennae  are  straight,  as 
may  be  seen  at  Fig.  a,  which  represents  one  of  the  antennse  of 
the  present  species.  The  rather  peculiar  tarsus  is  shown  at  d. 
The  elytra  do  not  reach  to  the  end  of  the  body.  Tlie  genus  is 
known  by  the  broad  and  rather  flattened  body,  the  wide  thorax, 
and  the  shape  of  the  head,  which  is  not  narrowed  into  a  neck 
behind  the  eyes,  as  is  the  case  with  Apoderus,  a  genus  which 
otherwise  much  resembles  it,  but  has  a  definite  neck  and  a 
body  more  flattened. 

The  present  species  is  very  common  throughout  England, 
and  is  a  very  pretty  little  Beetle,  varying  in  length  from  an 
eighth  to  a  quarter  of  an  inch.  The  head  is  black,  and  slightly 
wrinkled  between  the  eyes.  The  thorax  is  small,  very  finely 
punctured,  and  brick-red  in  colour,  the  elytra  being  of  the 
same  hue. 

Oak  and  hazel,  especially  the  underwood,  are  the  best 
localities  for  this  Beetle,  which  can  best  be  captured,  like  many 
others  of  its  group,  by  the  sweep-net.  Sometimes  eight  or  ten 
specimens  will  be  found  in  the  net  after  a  few  minutes'  sweep- 
ing. The  reason  for  its  prevalence  in  such  localities  is,  that 
the  larva  feeds  on  the  young  leayes  of  the  oak.  Leaves  which 
have  been  attacked  by  this  insect  are  very  common  in  oak- 
copses,  and  a  pocketful  can  often  be  obtained  in  a  short  time. 
They  are  known  by  being  rolled  up  tightly  into  a  shape  which 
jas  been  well  compared  to  a  lady's  thimble.  To  the  naked 
eye,  the  brick-red  of  this  Beetle  looks  rather  dull,   but  when 


HIDDEN   BEAUTIES. 


165 


^riewed  by  the  aid  of  a  microscope,  the  surface  both  of  thorax 
and  elytra  is  seen  to  possess  astonishing  beauty,  the  rich 
shining-red  being  broken  up  into  various  shades  by  the  rows  of 
punctures. 

I  have  often  wondered  whether  the  insects   themselves  are 
capable  of  seeing  and  admiring  these  beauties  without  the  aid  of 


XVII 


1.  Attelabus  curcnlionoides.  2.  Rhynchites  Bacchns.  3.  Apior  oardiionim.  4.  Sitonea 
lineatus.  5.  Cleonus  nebulosus.  a.  Attelabus,  antenna.  6.  Khynchites,  antenna.  e. 
Apion,  antenna.  d.  Attelabus,  tarsus.  e.  Rhynchites,  tarsus.  /.  Apion,  tarsus.  a, 
Rhynchites,  maxillary  palpus.        A.   Rhynchites,  labium 


the  microscope,  as  well  as  we  do  with  its  assistance.  When  view- 
ing through  a  lens  some  tiny  and  apparently  dull-coloured  insect, 
and  noticing  how  magnificently  beautiful  the  colouring  really 
is  when  we  put  ourselves  under  the  conditions  which  enable 
Cis  to  see  the  many  details  which  were  before  concealed  from  us, 
I  cannot  but  feel  that  such  beauties  were  surely  intended  to 
delight  some  eyes,  and  most  probably  the  eyes  of  its  fellows. 


166  INSECTS   AT   HOME. 

Our  next  example  of  this  family  is  Rhynchitea  Bacchus,  re- 
presented on  Woodcut  XVII.  Fig.  2. 

The  generic  name  Rhynchites  is  taken  from  the  Greek,  and 
signifies  long-nosed,  or,  to  be  more  accurate  but  less  elegant, 
'  nosey,'  and  is  given  to  it  on  account  of  the  shape  of  the  snout 
or  beak,  which  is  much  more  lengthened  than  in  either  of  i/he 
pi-eceding  "Weevils,  and  forms  one  of  the  principal  characters  of 
the  genus.  The  other  characteristics  are,  that  the  beak  is 
more  or  less  widened  at  the  end,  that  the  head  is  not  narrowed 
into  a  neck  behind  the  eyes,  and  that  the  antennae  have  eleven 
joints.  The  form  of  the  antennae  is  shown  at  Fig.  b,  that  of  the 
tarsus  at  e,  the  maxillary  palpus  at  j,  and  the  labium  at  h. 
There  are  seventeen  British  species  belonging  to  this  genus. 

Many  of  the  insects  of  this  genus  are  remarkable  for  their 
beauty,  their  bodies  being  of  all  imaginable  brilliant  colours, 
and  having  their  brilliancy  increased  by  their  metallic  gloss. 
This  species  is  certainly  not  the  least  handsome  among  its 
splendid  brethren,  its  colour  being  a  rich-red,  almost  coppery- 
gold,  on  which  is  a  long  soft  down.  The  thorax  is  deeply 
punctured,  and  the  elytra,  which  are  rounded  at  their  tips  and 
rather  separated  from  each  other,  are  as  of  burnished-copper, 
sometimes  taking  a  purplish  hue.  Their  surface  is  covered 
with  very  deep  and  bold  punctures,  and  with  a  vast  number  of 
wrinkles  running  transversely  against  them.  There  is  much 
variation  in  the  colour  of  this  splendid  Beetle,  which  is  some- 
times greenish  and  sometimes  blue  ;  but,  as  is  the  case  with 
many  of  such  Beetles,  the  exact  hue  depends  very  much  on 
the  angle  at  which  the  light  is  reflected  from  them  to  the  eye, 
green  changing  to  blue,  then  to  purple,  and  purple  to  gold, 
as  the  insect  is  turned  to  one  side  or  the  other. 

It  is  a  rare  insect,  but  has  been  taken  in  Darenth  Wood.  It 
has  also  been  taken  plentifully  near  Crayford,  in  Kent,  on  the 
blackthorn  [Prunus  spinosus). 

There  is  an  enormous  genus  of  Weevils,  consisting  of  very 
tiny  species,  about  as  large  and  somewhat  the  shape  of  a  note 
of  admiration  (!)  as  here  given.  Their  bodies  look  very  much 
like  pears,  the  stalk  of  the  fruit  representing  the  beak  of  the 
insect.  In  consequence  of  this  resemblance  they  have  received 
the  generic  name  of  Apion,  which  is  a  Greek  word  signifying 


THE  apio:ns,  or  pear  weevils.  167 

a  pear.  They  have  also  been  compared  to  peg-tops  ;  and,  if 
the  peg  were  curved  instead  of  straight,  the  resemblance  would 
be  almost  complete.     We  will  call  them  Pear  Weevils. 

The  genus  Apion  is  an  admirable  test  of  an  entomologist's 
zeal.  If  he  can  set,  examine,  and  determine  the  Apions  which 
he  will  catch  in  an  hour's  walk  with  the  sweep-net,  there  is  no 
doubt  about  his  zeal  for  entomology,  a  zeal  which  the  genus 
Apion  is  admirably  calculated  to  quench.  They  are  all  so  tiny 
that  a  tolerably  high  power  is  required  for  their  proper  exami- 
nation, and  the  pocket-lens  must  be  laid  aside  in  favour  of  a 
microscope  ;  and  in  many  instances  the  colour  of  the  trochanter 
forms  one  of  the  principal  characteristics.  Then,  their  bodies 
are  so  boldly  rounded  that  only  a  small  portion  can  come  into 
focus  at  the  same  time.  The  necessity  for  a  high  power 
is  seen  by  the  fact  that  without  it  the  antennas  appear  only  to 
have  eleven  joints,  whereas  they  have  in  reality  twelve,  the 
twelfth  being  an  extremely  minute  one  at  the  very  end  of  the 
club.  None  of  this  genus  possess  wings,  and  the  elytra  com- 
pletely cover  the  abdomen.  Along  the  side  of  the  beak  are 
seen  two  deep  grooves,  in  which  the  basal  joints  of  the  antennae 
can  lie  ;  and  it  is  to  be  noted  that  in  death  the  antennae  of 
these  Beetles  are  directed  backwards,  Ijang  partly  in  the  grooves, 
so  that  the  tip  of  the  antenna  comes  close  to  the  junction  of 
the  head  with  the  thorax. 

In  spite  of  the  difficulties  which  attend  the  examination  of 
these  insects,  the  entomologist  will  find  his  time  well  bestowed 
upon  them.  Independently  of  other  sources  of  interest,  these 
tiny  Beetles  are  marvellously  beautiful.  Their  colours  are  ex- 
ceedingly various,  and  the  richness  and  perfection  of  the 
sculpture  which  adorns  their  tiny  bodies  must  be  seen  to  be 
appreciated.  It  is  as  if  the  very  exuberance  of  creative  power 
had  sported  with  these  little  creatures,  a  thousand  of  which 
could  be  contained  in  a  lady's  thimble,  and  yet  which  bear 
upon  every  portion  of  their  bodies  a  limitless  profusion  of 
highly-elaborated  ornament.  The  head  and  thorax  are  covered 
with  a  multitude  of  deep  impressions,  at  first  seeming  as  if 
scattered  at  random,  but  in  reality  disposed  with  most  con- 
summate art ;  while  the  elytra  baffle  all  attempts  to  describe 
th6ir  varied  beauty.  Agreeing  in  one  point^ — namely,  the  bold 
ridges   which    run    longitudinally   along   them — they   are    of 


168  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

infinite  variety  in  their  details,  so  that  a  full  description  of  all 
the  species  would  occupy  well-nigh  more  than  the  space  that 
can  be  given  to  the  whole  of  the  Beetle  tribe. 

I  have  often  thought,  when  examining  these  little  beings 
with  the  microscope,  that  artists  in  metals  might  find  in  them 
and  other  Beetles  an  exhaustless  mine  of  new  and  most  beauti- 
ful patterns  ;  and,  indeed,  artists,  no  matter  in  what  depart- 
ment, cannot  do  better  than  study  the  insect  tribes,  in  order  to 
learn,  many  secrets  of  form  and  colour. 

Tiny  as  they  are,  the  Apions  often  do  much  damage  to  the 
agriculturist,  many  of  them  living  in  peas  and  beans,  as  has 
been  stated  of  the  Bruchus,  some  boring  into  the  stems  or 
roots  of  plants,  or  making  a  gall-like  excrescence  on  the  leaves 
or  twigs.  They  specially  frequent  clover,  and  in  a  field  of  this 
plant,  and  along  the  adjoining  hedgerows,  the  entomologist 
can  take  sufficient  Apions  in  a  morning  to  give  him  full  em- 
ployment during  the  wiijter  months  with  his  microscope.  I 
may  here  mention  that  some  knowledge  of  drawing  is  a  potent 
help  in  the  study  of  insects ;  and,  indeed,  the  note-book 
and  pencil  should  be  always  at  hand.  No  matter  how  rude 
may  be  the  sketch,  it  is  sure  to  be  useful,  and  has  a  wonderful 
power  in  fixing  details  in  the  mind. 

On  Woodcut  XVII.  Fig.  3,  is  shown  Apion  carduorum, 
being  about  one-seventh  of  an  inch  long,  while  the  generality  of 
Apions  are  not  much  more  than  half  that  length.  The  antenna 
is  represented  at  c,  and  the  tarsus  at/.  The  head  and  thorax 
of  this  insect  are  black,  with  short  shining  hairs  scattered  very 
thinly  over  the  surface.  Near  the  base  of  the  head  the  an- 
tennae are  set  upon  two  rather  bold  tubercles.  The  elytra  are 
of  a  verdigris-green,  with  a  tinge  of  blue — a  colour  which  is 
rather  common  to  this  genus — and  the  spaces  between  the  strife 
are  very  flat. 

Some  eighty  British  species  are  known  to  entomologists,  and 
I  would  strongly  recommend  the  beginner  to  lay  aside  the  ex- 
amination of  these  little  beings  until  his  eye  is  trained  to 
seizing  details  by  some  practice  with  the  larger  insects. 

The  specific  name  of  this  insect,  carduorum,  signifies  '  of 
the  thistles,'  and  is  given  because  it  can  be  found  upon  that 
plant.  Indeed,  the  majority  of  the  Apions  are  named  after 
the  plants  which  they  principally  frequent.     The  reader  will 


ENTOMOLOGICAL  NOMENCLATURE.  169 

have  uoticed  that  I  have  explained  a  considerable  number  of 
the  names  of  the  insects,  and  that  some  are  left  unexplained. 
The  fact  is  that  many  names  have  no  explanation.  Systematic 
entomologists,  when  they  lind  new  genera  crowding  on  them, 
are  quite  at  a  loss  for  suitable  names.  They  can  manage 
pretty  well  with  the  specific  name,  because  they  can  take  one 
of  the  chief  characters  which  marks  the  species,  and  give  its 
synonym  in  Cfreek  or  Latin.  But  this  is  not  to  be  done  with 
the  generic  title,  and  so  they  are  driven  to  various  expedients 
— such  as  calling  a  new  genus  after  the  name  of  some  particular 
friend,  or  a  favourite  child,  or  perhaps  a  pet  dog  or  cat. 
Having  exhausted  their  resources,  there  yet  remains  another, 
which  will  account  for  some  of  the  remarkable  names  which 
we  see  in  entomological  lists.  Cut  up  some  paper  into  small 
squares,  and  write  upon  each  of  them  a  letter  of  the  alphabet 
— a  child's  toy  alphabet  will  answer  still  better.  Take  at 
random  half  a  dozen  letters,  taking  care  to  have  a  vowel  or 
two  among  them,  arrange  them  on  the  table,  and  try  if  they 
can  be  made  into  a  pronounceable  word.  If  not,  take  some  more 
letters  and  try  again  ;  and  when  a  word  is  at  last  formed,  there 
is  the  generic  name  ready.  If  a  sort  of  classical  air  be  thought 
necessary,  all  that  is  required  is  to  add  us  or  utti  at  the  end 
of  it. 

Wa  now  come  to  the  Weevils  with  elbowed  antennae,  the 
first  family  of  which  is  the  Brachyderidae.  In  these  insects 
the  head  is  short,  wide,  and  set  on  the  thorax  without  any 
separate  neck,  a  peculiarity  which  has  gained  for  the  family 
the  name  of  Brachyderidce,  or  '  short-necks.' 

Our  example  of  this  family  is  Sitones  lineatus,  which  is 
represented  on  Woodcut  XVII.  Fig.  4.  This  genus  is  known 
by  the  possession  of  wings,  the  short  beak,  and  the  third  joint 
of  the  antennae,  which  is  shorter  than  the  second.  About 
fourteen  British  species  of  this  genus  are  acknowledged.  The 
present  species  is  a  pretty  though  not  a  brilliant  insect.  The 
ground  colour  is  black,  but  the  body  is  clothed  above  with 
scales  of  a  warm-brown  hue,  while  the  under  surface  of  the 
body  is  similarly  clothed,  but  with  scales  having  a  silvery 
lustre.  There  is  a  central  furrow  on  the  disc  of  the  thorax,  and 
a   rather  deep   impression  across   its   apex.     The    elytra   are 


170  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

punctured  and  striated,  with  white  interstices  between  the 
striae.  These  white  lines  form  the  distinguishing  characteristic 
of  the  species,  which  is  apt  to  be  very  variable  in  other  respects. 

The  young  entomologist  must  be  very  careful  in  handling 
this  and  other  scale-clad  Weevils,  as  the  scales  are  easily  rubbed 
off,  so  that  nothing  is  seen  but  the  dullTblack  of  the  elytra. 
A  roughly-handled  Weevil  is  just  as  unfit  for  the  cabinet  as 
a  butterfly  with  the  rich  plumage  rubbed  from  its  wings. 

All  the  members  of  this  genus  are  injurious  to  the  crops, 
especially  clover  and  peas.  The  generic  name  of  Sitones 
(erroneously  spelt  Sitona  by  some  entomologists)  is  a  Grreek 
word  signifying  a  corn-dealer,  and  has  been  given  to  the  Beetles 
in  consequence  of  their  influence  upon  the  harvests. 

In  the  family  of  the  Cleonidse,  which  comes  next  in  order, 
the  beak  is  rather  long  and  strong,  and  curved  downwards  in 
some  species  with  a  very  sudden  bend.  In  the  typical  genus 
the  beak  is  larger  than  the  head,  and  has  the  antennae  set  near 
its  end.  The  body  is  thickly  covered  with  scales,  and  the 
tibiae  have  a  strong  spine  at  the  tip.  Some  of  the  largest 
British  Weevils  are  found  among  the  members  of  this  genus, 
one  of  which,  Cleonus  nebulosus,  is  represented  on  Woodcut 
XVII.  Fig.  5.  As  may  be  seen  by  the  line  which  accompanies 
the  figure,  this  is  quite  a  large  Weevil,  sometimes  being  four- 
fifths  of  an  inch  in  length.  As  is  the  case  with  all  the  members 
of  its  genus,  its  body  is  covered  with  scales,  which  in  this 
species  are  of  an  ashen-grey.  The  beak  is  also  clothed  with 
scales,  with  the  exception  of  a  ridge,  or  keel,  which  runs  along 
its  centre.  The  thorax,  which  has  a  white  streak  on  each  side, 
is  punctured  and  wrinkled,  with  a  short  ridge  in  the  middle, 
and  on  each  side  a  number  of  small  tubercles.  The  elytra  are 
deeply  striated  and  punctated,  and  have  several  spots  and  two 
distinct  bands  denuded  of  scales,  as  may  be  seen  by  reference 
to  the  figure.  The  reader  will  see  from  the  markings  on  this 
insect  how  necessary  is  precaution  in  handling  Weevils,  as  at 
a  very  slight  touch  the  scales  will  fall  off,  and  the  distinctive 
spots  and  bands  be  no  more  distinguished. 

These  are  all  very  hard-shelled  Beetles,  and  require  the  use 
of  a  needle-point  in  order  to  induce  the  fine  entomological  pin 
to  pass  through  their  bodies.     Their  larvae  feed  upon  the  stems 


VAKIOUS  WEEVILS. 


171 


of  thistles,  in  which  they  may  be  found.  There  are  four  species 
of  this  genus,  of  which  one  is  exceedinoly  rare,  another  suffi- 
ciently rare  to  be  valuable,  while  the  other  two  are  local,  but 
tolerably  plentiful  in  the  places  to  which  they  take  a  fancy. 
The  present  species  is  moderately  abundant  in  the  New  Forest. 
The  specific  name  of  nebulosus,  or  cloudy,  is  given  to  this 


1.  Moljies  gcrmanus.        2.  Otiorhynchus  picipes.  3.   Pissodes  pini.         4.  Anthonomns 

pomorum.  5.  Balaniims  nucum.  a.  Otiorhynchus,  antenna.  b.  Otiorhynchus,  larva. 

c.  Anthonomns.  antenna.        d.  Anthonomus,  maxillary  palpus.        e.  Anthonomus,  labial  palpi. 
/.  Balaninus,  pupa. 


Beetle  in  allusion  to  the  colouring  of  the  body.  Like  many 
other  Beetles,  this  species  is  liable  to  some  variety,  the 
scales  of  the  head  and  thorax  sometimes  assuming  a  red  hue, 
and  a  line  of  similar  colour  running  along  the  suture  of  the 
elytra. 

On  Woodcut  XVIII.  Fig.  1,  is  represented  a  very  fine  example 
of  English  Weevils.     It  is  called  Molytes  germanus,  and  is  so 


172  INSECTS  AT   HOME. 

conspicuous  that  it  cannot  possibly  be  mistaken  if  seen.  This 
genus,  of  which  two  British  species  are  known,  is  distinguished 
by  its  broad,  smooth,  egg-shaped  body,  the  minute  and  scarcely 
visible  scutellum,  and  the  strong  hook  at  the  tip  of  the  tarsi. 
The  colour  of  this  species  is  shining-black,  and  the  thorax  is 
deeply  punctured,  and  marked  with  three  irregular  spots  on 
each  side,  the  spots  being  composed  of  dull-yellow  hairs.  The 
elytra  are  covered  with  many  dull-yellow  spots  and  a  number 
of  shallow  rounded  impressions. 

Both  species  of  Molytes  are  found  in  chalky  districts,  and 
the  present  species  seems  to  be  a  very  local  one,  Kent  and 
Sussex  being  the  places  where  it  has  chiefly  been  found. 

Another  example  of  this  family  may  be  seen  on  Plate  VI. 
Fig.  6.  This  is  the  Beetle  known  by  the  name  of  Phytonomus 
tigynnus,  an  insect  which  is  found  plentifully  at  Dover.  In 
this  genus  the  antennae  have  twelve  joints,  the  scape  being 
clubbed,  and  reaching  to  the  eyes,  the  club  being  oval.  The 
beak  is  twice  as  long  as  the  head,  rounded  and  curved,  the 
elytra  are  thickly  clothed  with  scales,  and  the  tibiae  are  without 
spurs. 

The  insects  of  this  genus  are  remarkable  for  constructing 
pensile  cocoons  when  they  are  about  to  change  into  the  perfect 
state.  One  of  these  cocoons  is  represented  just  below  the 
Beetle.  These  cocoons  are  really  wonderful  examples  of  insect 
art,  and  that  they  should  be  made  by  such  a  creature  as  a  little 
long-bodied  hairy  grub  seems  almost  incredible.  The  form  is 
oval,  and  the  material  is  silken  thread  secreted  by  the  insect. 
The  peculiarity  in  these  cocoons  is  that  they  are  made  of  open 
network,  the  meshes  being  large  enough  to  admit  an  ordinary 
pin.  A  very  good  imitation  of  one  of  these  cocoons  could  be 
made  by  taking  some  galvanised  iron  net,  and  forming  it  into 
an  egg-like  shape  ;  for  the  threads  of  the  cocoon  are  in  their 
way  quite  as  strong  as  the  wire.  The  cocoon  represented  in 
the  plate  is  of  the  natural  size. 

The  larva  always  takes  care  to  spin  its  cocoon  on  the  under 
surface  of  a  leaf,  so  that  it  will  not  be  seen  unless  the  leaves  be 
lifted.  As  a  rule,  the  young  entomologist  will  find  trhat  the 
under  surfaces  of  leaves  will  often  afford  him  a  rich  harvest, 
when  no  sign  of  an  insect  is  to  be  seen  on  the  upper  surface. 


COCOON-MAKING  BEETLES.  173 

Fourteen  species   of  this  genus  are   known,  and  all  of  them 
make  similar  cocoons  in  which  to  pass  their  pupal  existence. 

These  are  not  the  only  cocoon-making  Weevils,  for  there  is 
another  genus,  Cionus,  which  is  equally  distinguished  as  an 
architect.  The  cocoon  of  the  Cionus  resembles  in  every  es- 
sential that  of  the  Pbytonomus,  but  is  spherical  instead  of  oval. 
These  insects  feed  on  the  mullein ;  and  the  best  plan  to  secure 
the  cocoon  of  the  insect  is  to  find  out  some  place  where 
mulleins  grow,  and  search  them  diligently.  The  Great  Mullein 
{Verhasaim  thajjsus),  which  grows  in  waste  grounds,  on  sandy 
or  gravelly  soil,  is  nearly  sure  to  furnish  either  tlie  Beetle  or 
the  cocoon,  and  perhaps  both.  Mr.  Stephens  states  that  he 
took  all  the  species  of  this  genus  upon  a  single  mullein  plant. 
The  Knotted-root  Figwort  {Scrophularia  nodosa)  is  another  of 
their  favourite  plants.  The  generic  name,  Phytonomus,  is 
formed  from  two  Greek  words,  and  signifies  'herb-grazer.' 

The  next  family  is  that  of  the  Otiorhynchidce.  This  rather 
crabbed  name  is  compounded  of  two  Greek  words,  the  former 
signifying  an  ear  and  the  latter  a  nose  or  snout,  and  is  given  to 
this  family  because  the  beak  is  developed  at  each  side  into  a 
flat  ear-like  lobe.  The  beak  is  short  and  stout,  and  the  basal 
joint  of  the  antennae  reaches  beyond  the'  eyes  when  directed 
backwards. 

Of  tins  family  our  first  example  is  Otiorhynchus  picipes, 
which  is  represented  on  Woodcut  XVIII.  Fig.  2.  The  typical 
genus,  to  which  this  insect  belongs,  has  the  antennre  long,  and 
generally  set  on  the  tip  of  the  beak.  The  scutellum  i^^often  ' 
absent,  and  where  it  does  exist  is  very  small;  there  are  no 
wings,  and  the  body  is  egg-shaped  and  convex.  In  this  genus 
the  ear-like  lobes  projecting  at  the  tip  of  the  beak,  sometimes 
termed  winglets,  are  very  well  developed,  and  can  be  easily 
seen  with  the  aid  of  a  magnifier.  By  these  projections  there  is 
a  deep  groove  in  which  the  antennas  are  set ;  and  in  many  of 
the  species  the  head  has  a  most  curious  resemblance  to  that  of 
a  moose  when  viewed  sideways,  the  resemblance  being  increased 
by  the  hairs  with  which  the  muzzle,  if  we  may  so  call  it,  is 
thickly  set. 

The  insects  of  this  genus  are  very  destructive  to  plants  and 
fruit-trees,  some  species  attaching  themselves  more  particularly 


174  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

to  definite  plants,  but  the  generality  being  in  no  wise  par- 
ticular as  to  the  sort  of  plant,  tree,  or  flower  on  which  they 
feed.  The  present  species  is  very  plentiful,  and  prefers  young 
leaves  to  every  other  kind  of  food.  This  fact  shows  tliat  it  is 
one  of  the  insects  that  are  found  in  the  spring  time,  and,  by 
beating  whitethorn  hedges  about  April  and  May,  any  number 
can  be  procured.  Although  not  brightly  coloured,  it  is  rather 
a  pretty  Beetle.  Its  colour  is  chestnut-brown,  and  the  elytra 
are  covered  with  a  thick  coating  of  scales,  through  which  a  few 
stiff  and  shining  bristles  project.  They  are  boldly  striated, 
each  stria  being  composed  of  a  series  of  circular  impressions, 
and  between  the  striae  is  a  row  of  elevated,  smooth,  blackish 
tubercles.     The  thorax  is  very  globular  and  thickly  granulated. 

The  scales  which  have  been  just  mentioned  are  found  in  the 
members  of  this  family  generally,  and  are  most  lovely  objects 
when  viewed  under  the  microscope.  The  most  beautiful  of 
these  scales  are  to  be  found  on  the  little  green  Weevils  that  are 
so  plentiful  upon  nettles  and  hedge-side  plants.  Seen  by  the 
unaided  eye,  there  is  nothing  remarkable  about  these  insects, 
which  appear  to  be  simple  dull-green  Beetles  ;  but  if  one  of 
them  be  placed  under  the  microscope,  and  viewed  with  a  half- 
inch  glass  with  light  concentrated  on  it  by  a  '  bull's-eye  '  lens, 
it  undergoes  a  transformation  like  that  of  Cinderella  when 
touched  by  the  fairy  wand.  The  whole  of  its  body,  head, 
thorax,  and  elytra  is  clad  with  rounded  glittering  scales,  set  in 
regular  order,  the  scales  being  larger  and  fewer  on  the  under 
side  than  on  the  upper  side  of  the  thorax.  Their  colour  is 
gold-green,  the  latter  hue  being  strongest  at  their  tips,  but 
both  colou-rs  shifting  in  accordance  with  the  change  of  light. 
The  elytra  are  wonderfully  beautiful,  for  they  are  boldly  and 
regularly  ridged  ;  and  as  each  ridge  is  densely  covered  with 
scales,  the  play  of  colour  upon  them  is  really  wonderful.  As  if 
to  give  more  richness  to  the  colouring,  the  elytra  themselves 
are  rich  golden-brown,  which  would  be  very  beautiful  even 
without  the  clothing  of  emerald  scales,  but  which  are  quite 
thrown  into  the  shade  by  the  beauty  of  their  covering. 

Nor  do  the  wonders  of  the  insect  cease  here.  If  a  still 
higher  power  be  used,  one  for  example  which  magnifies  some 
two-hundred  diameters,  each  scale  is  seen  to  be  shaped  with 
the  most  elaborate  care.     The  form  somewhat  resembles  that 


THE  APRICOT   WEEVIL.  175 

of  a  battledore  with  the  handle  broken  off,  and  the  head  rather 
rounded.  The  surface  is  covered  with  ridges  as  regular  as 
those  of  the  elytra  from  which  it  came,  and  each  ridge  projects 
a  little  beyond  the  end  of  the  side,  so  as  to  produce  a  series  of 
teeth.  Over  the  whole  of  each  scale  the  light  plays  with  a 
changing  lustre,  and  indeed  each  tiny  scale  seems,  when  greatly 
magnified,  to  reproduce  in  itself  the  splendid  colours  of  the 
entire  insect. 

Several  other  members  of  the  typical  genus  are  well  known 
to  gardeners  from  the  mischief  which  they  do  to  the  flowers  and 
fruits.  For  example,  there  is  the  Grooved  Weevil  (Otio- 
rhynchis  sulcatus),  which  is  too  plentiful  in  gardens,  and  has  a 
peculiar  predilection  for  potted  plants,  getting  just  between  the 
root  and  the  stem,  and  nibbling  round  the  plant  until  it  first 
weakens,  and  then  destroys  it.  Owing  to  the  sober-grey 
exterior  of  the  Beetle,  it  is  enabled  to  lie  concealed  on^the 
very  spot  where  it  does  so  much  harm  ;  its  egg-shaped  body, 
.  disguised  with  the  particles  of  earth  which  cling  to  its  scaled 
and  bristly  surface,  looking  more  Hke  a  dusty  stone  than  an 
insect. 

The  larva  of  this  destructive  Beetle  was  found  by  Messrs. 
Westwood  and  Haworth  busily  engaged  in  devouring  the  roots 
of  a  species  of  Sedum,  which  had  been  potted.  This  larva  is 
rather  long  in  proportion  to  its  width,  and  is  covered  with 
short  stiff  hairs,  by  means  of  which  it  is  able  to  push  its  way 
through  the  earth.  It  lives  but  a  very  little  below  the  surface 
of  the  ground,  and  never  eats  any  portion  of  the  plant  that 
makes  its  way  into  the  open  air,  and,  as  it  continues  to 
feed  throughout  the  winter  months,  does  an  enormous  amount 
of  unsuspected  mischief.  It  changes  to  the  pupa  state  about 
May  or  June,  and  assumes  the  perfect  form  in  three  or  four 
weeks. 

Another  of  these  Beetles  is  popularly  known  by  the  name  of 
Apricot  Weevil  {Otiorhynchus  tenebricosus),  because  it  chiefly 
attacks  those  fruit-trees  which  are  nailed  against  the  wall, 
the  apricot  often  suffering  direfully  from  its  inroads.  This 
Beetle  is  pitchy-black  and  rather  shining ;  and,  when  examined 
through  a  lens,  the  head,  thorax,  and  elytra  are  seen  to  be 
thickly  granulated,  while  on  the  elytra  are  also  regular  rows  of 
punctures.     It  may  seem  strange,  but  it  really  is  the  case  that 


176  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

these  striae,  composed  of  tiny  punctures,  are  more  apparent  to 
the  naked  eye  than  under  the  lens,  which  brings  out  the  granu- 
lations in  bold  relief,  and  throws  the  punctures  into  the  shade. 

If  the  Beetle  be  examined  sideways  and  turned  gradually 
roimd,  a  narrow  line  of  warm-chesfenut  appears  near  the  edge 
of  the  elytra,  always  shifting  as  the  body  of  the  insect  revolves. 
When  the  Eeetle  is  placed  under  the  microscope,  and  a  half- 
inch  power  brought  to  bear  on  it,  this  chestnut  hue  is  seen  to 
be  occasioned  by  a  number  of  short  reddish  bristles,  which, 
vhen  viewed  from  above,  are  too  few  to  have  any  perceptible 
effect  on  the  pitchy-black  of  the  body ;  but,  when  seen  in  pro- 
file, so  that  a  number  of  them  are  brought  into  the  field  of 
view,  are  able  to  assert  themselves  and  develope  their  colour. 
The  reader  may  easily  see  a  parallel  case  by  looking  at  the 
back  of  the  hand  first  from  above,  and  then  by  viewing  it, side- 
ways against  the  light.  In  the  first  case  the  hairs  scattered 
over  the  surface  almost  escape  observation,  while  in  the  latter 
case  they  assume  quite  an  important  aspect.  The  bristles  of 
this  Beetle,  by  the  way,  are  easily  rubbed  off,  and  therefore  the 
chestnut  line  is  not  seen  to  advantage  except  in  young  speci- 
mens that  have  been  carefully  handled,  as  is  the  case  with  the 
example  from  which  I  write  this  description. 

It  is  common  in  hedges,  and  there  does  no  great  harm,  but 
when  it  takes  to  invading  our  orchards,  its  presence  cannot  be 
permitted.  It  is  fond  of  lurking  under  the  loose  bark  of  grape- 
vines, in  the  earth  around  the  roots  of  the  fruit-trees,  along 
the  bases  of  the  walls,  and  in  old  nail-holes.  All  these  places 
should  be  searched,  the  base  of  the  walls  well  drenched  occa- 
sionally with  tobacco-water,  the  loose  bark  stripped  from  the 
vines,  and  the  nail-h(  les  stopped  with  mortar.  In  the  present 
genus,  as  now  restricted,  eighteen  British  species  are  acknow- 
ledged. 

Next  comes  the  family  of  the  Erirhinidse.  This  name  is 
compounded  from  two  Greek  words,  which  signify  '  long- 
beaked,'  and  is  given  to  the  family  because  their  beaks  are  of 
considerable  length,  nearly  as  long  indeed  as  the  thorax. 
The  first  pair  of  legs  are  set  very  close  to  each  other. 

On  Plate  VI.  Fig.  7,  may  be  seen  one  of  the  Beetles 
belonging  to  this  family,  together  with  the  home  in  which  it 


PINE  BEETLES.  l77 

resides  while  in  the  larval  state.  Its  name  is  Lvxus  hicolor. 
The  genus  to  which  this  insect  belongs  is  known  by  its 
elongated,  narrow,  cylindrical  body,  its  long  and  nearly 
straight  beak,  and  the  sharp  and  strong  hook  at  the  end  of  the 
tibioe.  This  singularly  beautiful  insect  derives  its  name  of  hi- 
color, or  two-coloured,  from  the  hue  of  the  body,  which  la 
clothed  witli  thick  scarlet  and  yellow  down.  This  splendid 
coat,  however,  is  easily  rubbed  off,  and  hence  it  is  difficult  to 
obtain  a  specimen  in  really  good  condition.  Thistles  and  ge- 
raniums form  the  usual  habitation  of  this  Beetle,  which  burrows 
into  the  interior  of  the  stem,  and  there  remains  until  it  has 
undergone  its  changes.  Deal  is  one  of  the  places  where  this 
beautiful  Beetle  is  found ;  and  the  best  mode  of  obtaining  good 
specimens  is,  therefore,  to  examine  carefully  the  roots  and 
stems  of  the  plants  on  which  it  feeds,  and  if  a  swelling  should 
appear  on  any  of  them,  to  pull  up  the  plant,  take  it  home,  and 
keep  it  alive,  if  possible,  until  the  Beetle  makes  its  appear- 
ance. Owing  to  the  extreme  delicacy  of  the  downy  coat,  the 
laurel-bottle  is  needed  for  the  various  Lixi,  as,  if  left  to  run 
about  in  a  box  or  bottle,  they  would  sadly  damage  their 
beautiful  clothing.  Even  when  the  fatal  bottle  has  received 
them,  care  should  be  taken  that  it  be  carried  steadily,  so  as  to 
avoid  shaking  the  delicate  insect  against  its  sides. 

Mr.  Hope  mentions  in  his  MS.  notes  that  he  has  taken 
two  species  of  Lixus — namely,  Lixua  paraplecticits,  a  wonder- 
fully long  and  thin  Beetle,  and  Lixus  angustatua — near  Oxford, 
both  on  flags  growing  in  the  Isis. 

On  Woodcut  XVIII.  Fig.  3,  is  seen  a  magnified  representa- 
tion of  another  Beetle  belonging  to  this  family.  Its  name  is 
Pissodes  pini.  This  genus  has  the  beak  quite  as  long  as  the 
.thorax,  and  the  body  is  egg-shaped,  but  long  in  proportion  to 
its  diameter.  The  species  which  is  represented  in  the  illustra- 
tion is  a  northern  insect,  and  is  found  in  Scotland,  where  it  is 
plentiful  among  fir-trees.  It  is  a  handsome  Beetle,  its  colour 
being  rich  red-brown,  variegated  with  golden  spots. 

Mr.  Eye  describes  the  habits  of  this  insect  in  the  following 
words : — '  Pissodes  .  .  .  frequents  pine  forests,  one  species,  Pis- 
sodes pini,  abounding  in  many  parts  of  Scotland,  where  I  have 
eeen  the  iemale  with  her  rostrum  deeply  buried  in  the  soft  part 


M 


178  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

between  the  outer  bark  and  solid  timber  of  fresh-cut  fir-trees. 
In  the  hole  thus  formed  an  egg  is  deposited,  the  larva  proceed- 
ing from  which  eats  galleries  under  the  bark  until  it  is  full- 
grown,  when  it  closes  its  retreat  with  particles  of  wood,  grass, 
&c.,  and  changes  to  a  pupa.  The  perfect  insects  .  .  .  cling 
very  tightly  to  the  fingers  when  handled.'  The  name  Pissodea 
is  formed  from  a  Greek  word  signifying  pitch,  and  is  given  to 
these  insects  because  they  inhabit  the  fir-tree. 

Theee  is  an  insect,  belonging  to  the  same  family,  which  is 
too  well  known  to  gardeners  by  the  name  of  Apple  Weevil 
(Anthonomus  pomoruTn).  Unlike  the  Weevils  which  attack 
the  roots  and  stems  of  plants,  this  insect  confines  itself  to  the 
flowers,  a  circumstance  which  has  caused  entomologists  to  give  it 
and  its  kin  the  name  of  Anthonomus,  or  '  flower-dweller.'  In  this 
genus  the  body  is  egg-shaped  and  convex,  but  rather  long,  the 
tibiae  are  widened  in  the  middle,  and  the  femora  are  toothed. 
The  insect  is 'represented  on  Woodcut  XVIII.  Fig.  4,  the  form 
of  the  antenna  is  shown  at  c,  the  maxillary  palpus  at  d,  and 
the  labial  palpi  at  e. 

The  colour  is  brown  mottled  with  chestnut,  and  on  the  elytra 
is  a  bold  white  mark  much  like  the  letter  V.  This  Beetle  may 
be  found  in  the  winter  time  under  the  bark  of  trees,  and  if 
touched  will  at  once  drop  to  the  ground,  where  it  can  hardly 
be  seen.  Towards  the  beginning  of  March-  the  time  depending 
much  on  the  state  of  the  weather — the  Apple  Weevil  awakes 
from  its  dormant  state,  and  flies  abroad  in  search  of  a  mate. 
The  future  proceedings  of  the  insect  have  been  admirably  told 
by  Mr.  E.  Newman,  in  his  '  Letters  of  Eusticus ' : — 

'  By  the  time  the  female  is  ready  for  the  important  task  of 
depositing  her  eggs,  the  spring  has  considerably  advanced,  the 
apple-buds  have  burst,  and  the  little  bunches  of  blossom  are 
readily  to  be  distinguished.  The  Weevil  soon  finds  out  these, 
and,  selecting  a  blossom  every  way  to  her  mind,  commences  her 
operations.  The  beak  or  trunk,  before  alluded  to,  is  furnished 
at  its  extremity  with  short  teeth  or  mandibles  :  with  these 
she  gnaws  a  very  minute  hole  into  the  calyx  of  the  future  blos- 
som, and  continues  gnawing  until  the  trunk  is  plunged  in  up 
to  her  eyes  ;  the  trunk  is  then  withdrawn,  and  the  hole  ex- 
amined with  careful  scrutiny  by  the  introduction  of  one  of  her 
feelers,  or  outer  prongs  of  her  trident.     If  it  seem  to  reqmre 


THE  APPLE   WEEVIL.  179 

any  alteration,  the  trunk  goes  to  work  again,  and  again  the 
feelers  ;  at  last,  being  fully  satisfied  that  the  work  is  well  ac- 
complished, she  turns  about,  and,  standing  with  the  extremity 
of  her  abdomen  over  the  hole,  thrusts  into  it  her  long  oviposi- 
tor, an  instrument  composed  of  a  set  of  tubes  retractile  one 
within  the  other,  and  deposits  a  single  egg  (never  more)  in  the 
very  centre  of  the  future  flower.  Another  examination  with 
her  feelers  now  takes  place  ;  and  when  she  is  thoroughly  satis- 
fied that  all  is  right,  away  she  flies  to  perform  the  same  opera- 
tion again  and  again,  never  tiring  while  she  has  an  egg  to  lay. 

'  The  bud  continues  to  grow  like  the  other  buds  ;  the  little 
perforation  becomes  invisible.  By  and  by  the  egg  bursts,  and 
out  comes  a  little  white  maggot,  with  neither  legs  nor  wings. 
This  maggot,  directly  it  is  hatched,  begins  to  devour  the  young 
and  tender  stamens  ;  next  to  these  the  style  is  attacked,  and 
eaten  down  to  the  fruit,  the  upper  part  of  which  is  quickly 
consumed :  the  maggot  is  then  full-fed ;  it  casts  its  skin,  be- 
comes a  chrysalis,  and  lies  perfectly  still.  Up  to  ttis  time  the 
blossom  has  continued  healthy,  no  trace  of  the  enemy  being  to 
be  discovered  without ;  but  when  the  neighbouring  blossoms 
are  expanding  their  petals  to  the  genial  breath  of  spring,  those ' 
of  the  mutilated  bud  remain  closed,  and  retain  the  arched, 
balloon-like  appearance  of  a  bud  about  to  burst.  For  a  few 
days  they  preserve  their  lovely  pink  colour,  and  then,  by 
degrees,  fade  to  dingy-brown.  In  this  state  they  remain  until 
the  other  apples  are  well  knit ;  and  then  the  damaged  blossoms, 
by  their  decided  contrast,  appear  very  conspicuous.  On  open- 
ing these  brown,  or  rather  rust-coloured,  blossoms  between 
June  10  and  15,  the  chrysalis  will  be  found  to  have  changed  to 
a  perfect  Beetle,  similar  to  its  parent,  above  described,  which, 
had  it  been  left  to  itself,  would  in  a  few  days  have  eaten  its 
way  through  the  weather-beaten  case  of  dried  petals  and  left  its 
prison-house,  flying  about  to  take  its  pleasure,  until  the  chilly 
winds  of  autumn  should  drive  it  to  its  winter  habitation  under 
the  bark.' 

The  insect  also  conceals  itself  under  stones,  sticks,  leaves,  or 
other  rubbish  lying  under  the  trees,  so  that  the  gardener  who 
cares  for  his  fruit-trees  will  do  well  to  scrape  together  all  these 
sticks  and  leaves,  and  burn  them  about  the  beginning  of 
February.     Five  English  species  belong  to  this  genus. 

n2 


180  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

We  now  come  to  a  Beetle  which  has  doubtlessly  annoyed 
many  of  my  readers,  especially  if  they  should  happen  to  be,  or 
to  have  been,  schoolboys.  When  cracking  a  filbert  after  the 
primitive  fashion,  it  is  by  no  means  pleasant  to  find  the  shell 
of  the  nut  yield  sooner  than  expected,  and  the  •  mouth  filled 
with  a  bitter  black  powder,  instead  of  the  richly-flavoured 
kernel.  There  are  few  things  nastier  in  their  way  than  such  a 
nut,  and  the  fault  lies  entirely  with  the  Nut  Weevil  {Balaninus 
nucum),  a  figure  of  which  is  given  on  Woodcut  XVIII.  Fig.  5. 
This  is  a  very  curious  Beetle,  its  beak  being  as  fine  as  a  needle, 
very  long  and  very  much  curved,  so  that  the  insect,  when 
viewed  in  profile,  looks  something  like  a  shoemaker's  awl.  A 
much  magnified  view  of  the  head  and  beak  is  given  on 
Woodcut  XV*.  Fig.  a. 

This  genus  is  at  once  known  by  the  long  and  slender  beak, 
which  is  nearly  as  long  as  the  triangular  body.  The  antennae 
are  set  in  the  middle  of  the  beak.  The  present  species  is  rather 
prettily  coloured.  The  general  colour  is  soft-brown,  but  the 
qlytra  have  a  nearly  white  mark  shaped  like  the  letter  U,  its 
outlines  being  defined  by  two  black  bands.  The  scutellum  is 
white.  These  colours  are  produced  by  the  clothing  of  down 
with  which  the  insect  is  covered,  and  when  the  down  is  rubbed 
off,  the  Beetle  becomes  nearly  black. 

The  life  story  of  this  Beetle  is  very  simple.  As  soon  as  the 
nut  blossom  has  fallen,  and  the  fruit  has  fairly  '  set,'  the  female 
Weevil  begins  her  work.  She  bores  a  hole  into  the  young  and 
still  soft  fruit,  and  in  the  hole  she  deposits  a  single  egg,  re- 
peating the  process  until  she  has  disposed  of  her  whole  stock 
of  eggs.  Her  business  in  life  is  now  finished,  and  she  dies. 
Meanwhile,  the  eggs  are  hatched,  and  the  young  larvae  begin 
to  feed  on  the  substance  of  the  nut,  carefully  avoiding  a  vital 
part,  so  that,  to  all  external  appearances,  the  nut  is  perfectly 
sound  and  good,  though  three-quarters  of  its  substance  may 
have  been  eaten  by  the  larva — the  little  white,  fat-bodied 
grub  which  we  all  know  so  well.  As  soon  as  the  larva  is  full- 
fed,  it  nibbles  a  round  hole  through  the  shell  of  the  nut, 
escapes  through  it  and  falls  to  the  ground,  into  which  it  wriggles 
its  way,  and  then  undergoes  its  transformations. 

As  the  grub  is  concealed  within  the  nut  until  all  the  mis- 
chief is  done,  there  is  scarcely  any  possibility  of  checking  the 


THE  NUT  WEEVIL  AND  ITS  KIN. 


181 


evil.  It  has  been  suggested  that,  as  the  nuts  which  have  been 
attacked  by  this  Beetle  become  rather  loose  on  their  stems,  the 
branches  should  be  beaten  before  the  nuts  are  ripe,  and  all  the 
fruit  that  falls  should  be  burned.  Eight  species  of  this  genus 
are  known.  The  larva  of  the  Nut  Weevil  is  shown  on  Woodcut 
XVIII.  Fig.  6,  and  the  pupa  at  /.     The  name  Balaninus  is 


5IK 


1.  Tychius  venustus. 
5.  Sitophilus  oryzae. 
d.  Orchestes,  antenna. 


2.  Orchestes  fagi. 
a.  Coeliodes,  head. 


3.  Orobites  cyaneus. 
6.  Orchestes,  head. 


4.  Coeliodes  quercfts. 
c.  Orchestes,  hind  leg. 


derived  from  a  Grreek  word,  signifying  an  acorn,  because  the 
acorn  as  well  as  the  nut  is  attacked  by  species  of  the  same 
genus. 


The  genus  Tychius  has  also  a  long  beak,  but  the  body  is 
rounded  and  oval  instead  of  triangular,  and  the  thorax  is  nearly 
globular.  An  example  of  this  genus,  Tychius  venustus^  is 
given  on  Woodcut  XIX.  Fig.  1.     These  are  all  pretty  insects, 


182  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

their  b-xiies  being  thickly  clothed  with  variously  coloured 
scales.  The  present  species  is  one  of  the  prettiest  of  them, 
although  its  colours  are  not  brilliant.  The  upper  part  of  the 
body  is  covered  with  ashen-grey  scales,  the  elytra  being  striated 
and  punctated,  with  very  narrow  and  delicate  white  longitu- 
dinal streaks.  Beneath,  it  is  pure  white.  This  seems  to  be 
rather  a  local  insect,  but  is  found  plentifully  in  certain  spots, 
of  which  Darenth  Wood  is  one.  It  frequents  plants  of  the 
vetch  tribe,  and  has  been  taken  on  the  broom. 

We  now  come  to  a  strange  genus  of  Weevils,  strange  in  their 
forms,  and  strange  in  their  ways.  They  are  all  very  tiny 
Beetles,  rarely  more  than  the  tenth  of  an  inch  in  length,  and 
generally  much  less.  The  femora  of  the  hind  legs  are  ex- 
ceedingly thick  and  strong,  and  the  Beetle  uses  them  for  leap- 
ing, an  exercise  which  it  pursues  with  wonderful  agility. 

From  this  peculiarity,  the  genus  is  named  Orchestes,  a  word 
which  signifies  '  leaper.'  One  of  these  Beetles,  Orchestes  fagi, 
a  name  which  may  be  translated  as  '  beech-hopper,'  is  repre- 
sented on  Woodcut  XIX.  Fig.  2,  its  head  is  shown  at  Fig.  6, 
and  its  hind  leg  at  Fig.  c. 

Small  as  are  these  Beetles,  they  are  able  to  do  a  vast  amount 
of  harm,  not  so  much  in  their  perfect  as  in  their  larval  state. 
The  larvse  of  this  genus  are  long  and  flat,  as  is  necessary  for 
their  mode  of  life.  They  burrow  into  the  leaves  of  various 
trees,  penetrating  between  the  upper  and  under  layer  of  the 
leaf,  and  feeding  on  the  '  parenchyma,'  a  soft  green  substance 
that  lies  between  them.  Mr.  Curtis  mentions  some  observa- 
tions which  he  made  on  the  habits  of  the  insect  which  we  have 
taken  as  our  example  : — 

'In  1832,  Lord  Farnham  informed  me  that  the  beech-trees 
on  his  estate  in  Cavan,  Ireland,  had  for  the  last  three  or  four 
years  suffered,  not  only  in  appearance,  from  the  leaves  being 
partially  blighted  by  a  species  of  these  insects,  Orchestes  fagi, 
in  June  and  the  beginning  of  July,  when  they  assumed  an 
autumnal  appearance,  but  the  general  health  of  the  trees 
seemed  to  be  considerably  impaired.  It  appeared  that,  on  the 
bud  opening,  it  was  immediately  occupied  by  the  Orchestes, 
which  perforated  the  leaves,  and  to  so  great  an  extent  that 
scarcely  a  tree  escaped. 


THE  CRYPTORHYNCHID^.  183 

'On  June  10,  in  the  previous  year,  in  a  ramble  through  the 
New  Forest,  I  observed  that  the  leaves  of  the  trees  looked  very 
brown,  and  those  of  the  beech  were  quite  blistered.  This  I  at  first 
attributed  to  the  severe  frost  we  had  in  the  morning  of  May  6, 
but  on  examining  them  I  found  a  larva  inclosed  in  each  leaf, 
which  in  a  short  time  clianged  to  Orchestes  fagi ;  so  that  at 
the  period  when  Lord  Farnliam  observed  it  in  Ireland,  this 
Beetle  seems  to  have  been  equally  abundant  in  England.' 

Twelve  species  of  this  genus  are  known  in  England,  and 
most  of  them  are  named  after  the  trees  which  they  inhabit. 
Many  more  species  are  described  by  the  older  entomologists, 
but  it  has  now  been  ascertained  that  many  supposed  species 
are  nothing  but  varieties,  our  present  example  having  been 
described  under  five  names.  The  colour  of  this  species  is  black, 
with  the  exception  of  a  reddish  down  scattered  rather  sparingly 
over  the  elytra.  It  is,  however,  a  variable  insect,  sometimes 
having  the  downy  clothing  green  instead  of  red. 

We  now  come  to  a  family  of  Weevils  called  Cryptorhynchidse. 
This  name  is  composed  of  two  Greek  words,  signifying  '  hidden 
snout,'  and  is  given  to  this  group  of  Beetles  because  they  have 
the  beak  bent  downwards,  and  capable  of  being  received  into  a 
groove  on  the  under  side  of  the  body.  This  attitude  is  as- 
sumed when  the  Beetle  is  in  repose  or  alarmed.  On  Woodcut 
XIX.  Fig.  4,  is  represented  one  of  these  insects,  named  Cceliodes 
quercus,  the  head  of  which  is  shown  at  Fig.  a.  In  this  genus 
the  hollow  in  which  the  beak  lies  is  between  the  first  and 
middle  pairs  of  legs,  and  it  is  on  account  of  this  channel  that 
the  name  Cosliodes,  or  '  hollowed,'  has  been  given  to  the  genus. 

These  are  all  very  little,  dumpy-bodied,  sober-coloured 
insects,  and,  when  placed  under  the  microscope,  they  bear  a 
curious  resemblance  to  the  apteryx,  whose  round  body  and  long 
curved  beak  almost  exactly  reproduce  the  form  of  the  Weevil. 
They  are  generally  to  be  found  on  nettles,  and  can  be  taken  with 
the  sweep-net.  Owing  to  the  rotundity  of  their  bodies,  they  are 
very  difficult  subjects  for  the  setting  board.  Moreover,  in 
death,  the  head  always  bends  itself  downwards,  and  the  beak 
tucks  itself  so  firmly  into  its  groove,  that  to  bring  it  out  with- 
out injuring  the  insect  is  no  easy  matter. 

Although  this  species  is  not  a  brilliantly-coloured  one,  it  is 


184  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

very  pretty  when  viewed  through  a  lens.  The  colotir  is  pitchy- 
black,  the  head  and  thorax  being  thickly  granulated.  The 
elytra  are  striated  and  punctated,  and  are  variegated  by  a  few 
whitish  patches.  The  under  surface  of  the  body  is  clothed  with 
white  down.  As  its  specific  name  implies,  it  is  to  be  found 
upon  the  oak. 

Our  next  example  of  this  family  is  Orobites  cyaneus.  The 
genus  is  knowm  by  its  globular  and  polished  body,  and  the 
short  groove  on  the  chest.  The  insect  which  is  figured  is  the 
only  British  species  of  its  genus,  and  is  by  no  means  common. 
Vetches  are  good  localities  for  it,  and  it  has  been  found  on 
willows  and  in  hedgerows.  Its  colour  is  very  dark-blue^  and 
it  has  a  curious  way  of  avoiding  observation  if  alarmed.  As 
the  reader  may  see  by  reference  to  the  illustration,  its  legs  are 
rather  long  in  proportion  to  its  body ;  yet,  it  possesses  the 
power  of  packing  them  so  tightly  under  its  body,  that  it  looks 
more  like  a  dry  polished  seed  than  an  insect,  and,  in  order  to 
assist  the  deception,  it  is  instinctively  taught  to  remain  per- 
fectly still  as  long  as  any  sign  of  danger  remains.  The  generic 
name  Orobites  is  Grreek,  and  signifies  '  vetch-eating,'  and  the 
specific  name  cyaneus  signifies  '  dark-blue,'  so  that  both  titles 
are  perfectly  appropriate. 

Omitting  of  necessity  several  genera  of  these  insects,  we 
come  to  one  which  is  among  the  most  destructive  of  the  group. 
This  is  the  Eice  Weevil  [Sitophilus  oi^yzce),  which  is  shown 
on  Woodcut  XIX.  Fig.  5.  The  generic  name  of  Sitophilus 
signifies  '  grain-lover,'  and  is  given  to  the  insect  on  account  of 
the  terrible  havoc  which  it  makes  in  corn-stores.  It  belongs 
to  the  family  Calandridse,  of  which  there  is  only  one  British 
genus,  that  which  has  just  been  mentioned.  In  this  family  the 
antennae  have  eight  joints,  the  last  joint  being  large  and 
rounded.  The  body  is  rather  flat,  and  the  elytra,  which  are 
boldly  striated,  do  not  quite  cover  the  end  of  the  abdomen. 
There  is  another  species,  the  Corn  Weevil  {Sitophilus  grana- 
Hus),  which  feeds  upon  com  as  the  present  species  does  on 
rice.  The  Eice  Weevil  is  distinguished  by  having  four  red 
spots  on  the  elytra,  the  Corn  Weevil  being  altogether  dusky- 
red. 


RAVAGES   OF  THE  RICE  "WTEEVIL.  185 

Like  the  Nut  Weevil,  these  insects  do  their  destructive  work 
in  secret,  and  there  is  no  finding  out  the  mischief  until  it  is 
too  late.  The  mother  Weevil — tiny  herself — inhabits  a  tiny- 
hole  in  a  grain  of  corn,  and  therein  deposits  a  single  egg.  The 
larva  is  soon  hatched  from  the  egg,  and  sets  to  work  at  feeding 
in  the  interior  of  the  grain,  the  whole  of  which  it  consumes, 
leaving  the  exterior  untouched,  so  that  the  grain  appears  quite 
sound.  Of  course,  the  damaged  grain  is  lighter  than  the  sound 
one,  the  body  of  the  larva  not  compensating  in  weight  for  the 
amount  of  substance  devoured  by  it ;  and,  if  the  corn  be  thrown 
into  water,  the  damaged  corn  will  rise  to  the  surface,  and  may 
be  skimmed  off  and  burned.  As,  however,  damaged  corn  and 
rice  can  both  command  a  sale,  and  as  all  damaged  grain  is 
not  attacked  by  the  Weevil,  the  dealers  will  seldom  employ 
such  a  measure  ;  though  to  destroy  all  the  light  corn  for  the 
sake  of  killing  the  Weevils  would  in  the  long  run  be  more 
profitable  than  keeping  it  for  sale  and  allowing  the  Weevils 
to  live. 

The  destruction  wrought  by  these  tiny  foes  can  scarcely  be 
over-estimated,  but  some  idea  of  it  may  be  estimated  from  the 
following  statements  which  were  made  at  the  Entomological 
Society,  April  4,  1870.  Seventy-four  tons  of  Spanish  wheat 
had  been  carefully  sifted  or  '  screened '  to  separate  the  Weevils 
from  it,  and  out  of  this  quantity  ten  hundrechveight  of  Weevils 
were  sifted.  Again,  one  hundred  and  forty-five  tons  of  Ameri- 
can maize  were  subjected  to  the  same  process,  and  at  two  siftings 
a  ton  and  three-quarters  of  Weevils  were  removed.  Now,  each 
of  these  Beetles  had  consumed  several  times  its  own  weight  of 
corn  before  it  attained  the  perfect  state :  and  the  reader  may  see 
that,  if  the  grain  had  been  subjected  to  the  water-test  and  the 
light  portion  burned,  the  proprietor  would  have  saved  the  cost 
of  some  two  tons  of  corn,  instead  of  all  owing  it  to  be  eaten  by 
these  insect  devourers,  the  stock  of  whom  increased  in  propor- 
tion to  the  diminution  of  the  stores.  It  is  rather  a  remarkable 
fact  that  all  these  Beetles  were  Eice,  and  not  Corn  Weevils, 
although  there  was  no  rice  among  the  grain  which  they  so 
seriously  damaged. 

The  larva  of  these  Beetles  is  very  short,  fat,  and  thick,  and 
has  two  recurved  hooks  at  the  end  of  the  body.  It  remains 
inside  the  grain  throughout  its  larval  and  pupal  life. 


186  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

There  has  been  some  controversy  among  systematic  entomo- 
logists with  regard  to  the  insects  which  come  next  in  order. 
Some,  thinking  that  they  ought  to  form  a  separate  group,  have 
given  them  the  name  of  Xylophagi,  i.e.  '  timber-eaters  ; '  while 
others  have  contended  that  they  are  really  Weevils,  and  ought 
to  form  the  last  family  of  that  group.  The  weight  of  opinion 
seems  to  be  on  the  latter  side,  and  we  will  therefore  take  some 
examples  of  the  family  of  Weevils,  called  Hylesinidse,  i.e. 
'  wood-devourers.'  The  name  is  a  very  appropriate  one,  as  we 
shall  presently  see. 

In  this  family  of  Weevils  the  head  has  but  a  very  short  beak, 
and  is  globular  in  shape  and  deeply  sunk  in  the  thorax.  The 
antennae  are  elbowed,  and  have  a  long  basal  joint  and  a  flattened 
club.  The  front  tibiae  are  broad  at  the  tip,  and  used  for  dig- 
ging purposes,  and  the  mandibles  are  short,  strong,  sharp,  and 
triangular.  They  are  all  timber-feeders,  and  sometimes  work 
terrible  destruction  in  the  forests,  even  when  the  trees  are  still 
living. 

Our  first  example  of  this  insect  is  called  Hylesinus  crenatus, 
and  is  represented  on  Woodcut  XX.  Fig.  1.  This  genus  may 
be  known  by  the  long  oval  club  of  the  antennae,  and  the  slight 
spurs  of  the  tibiae.  The  colour  of  this  insect  is  black,  the 
thorax  is  thickly  and  boldly  punctured.  The  elytra  are  pitchy- 
black,  and  are  both  striated  and  '  crenated,'  i.e.  covered  with 
marks  like  parts  of  circles.  From  this  peculiarity,  the  insect 
has  derived  its  specific  title,  crenatus.  The  interstices  between 
the  striae  are  wrinkled.  The  body  is  covered  with  down,  and 
rather  elongated.  This  is  not  a  very  common  insect,  but  may 
be  found  under  the  bark  of  old  trees.  Four  species  of  this 
genus  inhabit  England. 

On  Woodcut  XX.  Fig.  2,  is  shown  the  most  destructive 
wood-eating  Beetle  that  we  have  in  this  country.  Its  name  is 
Scolytus  destructor^  and  a  very  appropriate  name  it  is,  the 
generic  name  being  of  Oreek  origin,  and  referring  to  the  wind- 
ing passages  or  burrows  which  it  makes  when  in  the  larval 
state,  and  the  specific  name  explaining  itself.  There  are  six 
species  of  British  Scolyti,  but  the  present  example  serves  as 
the  best  type  of  the  whole  genus.     This  genus  is  distinguished 


THE  SCOLYTUS. 


187 


by  the  shape  of  its  body,  which  is  obliquely  cut  off  behind,  and 
by  the  club  of  the  antenna;,  which  is  three-jointed,  solid,  and 
flattened.     The  last  joint  but  one  of  the  tarsus  is  cleft. 

The  colour  of  our  species  is  slightly  variable,  but  is  mostly 
as  follows-: — The  head  is  black,  wrinkled  longitudinally,  and 
the  thorax  is  very  large  in  proportion  to  the  size  of  the  insect, 


1.  Hylesinus  crenatus.         2.  Scolytus  destructor.         3.  Prionus  ccriarius.         4.  Tomicus 
typographicu?.  5.    CalliJium  violaceum.  a.   Prionus,  larva.  0.   Tomicus,  larva, 

c.  Scolytus,  larva. 


and  is  covered  with  very  small  punctures.  The  elytra  are 
sometimes  black,  sometimes  pitchy,  and  sometimes,  bright- 
chestnut,  and  are  striated,  the  spaces  between  the  strise  being 
punctm'ed.  So  much  for  the  appearance  of  this  Beetle — we 
will  now  proceed  to  its  history. 

When  the  mother  Scolytus  is  about  to  deposit  her  eggs,  she 
flies  to  a  tree,  and  searches  about  the  bark  for  a  favourable 
spot.     Having  found  it,  she  sets   to  work  and  gnaws  a  hole 


188  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

com2)letely  througli  the  bark,  until  she  gets  between  the  bark 
and  the  solid  wood.  She  next  drives  a  tunnel,  scarcely  wider 
than  her  own  body,  and  then  goes  back  along  the  tunnel,  and 
deposits  her  eggs  along  it.  In  many  cases"  she  exhausts  all  her  , 
life-powers  in  the  effort,  and  dies  before  she  can  entirely  escape 
from  the  burrow,  the  entrance  of  which  is  stopped  up  by  her 
body,  so  that  no  foe  can  enter. 

The  eggs  are  soon  hatched,  and  then  the  larvse  begin  their 
destructive  work.  They  feed  on  the  soft  inner  bark,  and  each 
larva,  as  it  feeds,  instinctively  turns  itself  at  right  angles  to  the 
burrow  in  which  it  was  hatched,  and  gnaws  for  itself  a  tunnel, 
which  widens  in  proportion  to  the  growth  of  the  larva.  These 
burrows  extend  for  an  inch  and  a  half  or  two  inches  in  length, 
and  the  result  is,  that  a  piece  of  bark,  some  three  inches  or 
more  in  diameter,  is  completely  severed  from  the  tree  and  can 
no  longer  perform  its  office.  At  the  widened  end  of  the  burrow 
the  larvse  assume  the  pupal  form,  and,  after  undergoing  their 
change  into  the  perfect  insect,  gnaw  their  way  through  the 
bark,  and  are  ready  to  lay  the  foundations  of  new  colonies. 

When  a  great  number  of  these  insects  bore  into  a  tree,  they 
often  destroy  it  entirely,  the  bark  being  separated  as  com- 
pletely from  the  wood  as  turf  is  severed  from  the  ground  when 
the  spade  is  passed  under  it.  There  is  a  tree — or  rather,  what 
was  a  tree — standing  within  a  few  yards  of  my  house,  which 
has  been  killed  by  the  Scolytus.  The  whole  of  the  bark  has 
peeled  off,  and  nothing  is  left  but  the  naked  wood,  scored  all 
over  with  the  radiating  tunnels  of  the  destroying  insect. 

Should  the  reader  wish  to  examine  this  insect  for  himself, 
he  will  find  no  difficulty  in  so  doing.  He  has  only  to  visit  any 
place  where  elm-trees  grow,  and  he  is  nearly  sure  to  find  the 
Scolytus  under  the  bark.  August  is  perhaps  the  best  time  for 
the  purpose,  as  then  the  perfect  insects,  the  larvse,  and  the 
pupsB  can  be  discovered.  The  larva  is  white,  thick,  and  fleshy, 
the  back  is  deeply  wrinkled — probably  to  aid  the  creature  in 
forcing  its  way  through  the  wood,  this  being  an  absolute  con- 
dition of  existence.  It  cannot  remain  in  the  same  place, 
because  it  grows  so  fast  that  the  unyielding  substances  around 
would  not  permit  its  increase  in  size,  and  it  would  in  conse- 
quence soon  perish.  It  is  forced,  therefore,  to  push  itself 
onwards,  and  to  occupy  the  space  which  was  originally  filled 


D.\J\L\GE  TO   ELM  TREES.  189 

by  the  wood  aud  bark  ou  which  it  has  fed,  and  for  this  purpose 
the  bold  wriukliugs  of  the  upper  surface  afford  as  useful  means 
of  progression  to  the  insect  as  the  ventral  scales  of  the  snake 
do  to  the  reptile.  The  head  is  hard  and  scaly,  and  the  jaws 
are  exceedingly  powerful.  One  of  these  larvae  is  shown  on 
Woodcut  XX.  Fig.  c. 

When  nearly  full-fed,  the  greater  number  of  the  larvse 
burrow  directly  into  the  tree,  making  holes  about  half  an  inch 
in  depth,  at  the  bottom  of  which  they  are  quite  safe,  even 
thougli  tlie  bark  should  fall  oif,  as  is  often  the  case.  Tliey  are, 
further,  protected  from  weather  and  the  eyes  of  hungry  birds 
by  the  '  frass,'  or  digested  remains  of  the  wood,  which  fills  up 
the  tunnel  behind  the  larva.  It  is  much  doubted  whether  the 
Scolytus  ever  attacks  a  healthy  tree,  principally,  as  is  con- 
jectured, because  in  such  trees  the  bmTOWS  of  the  insects  are 
filled  with  sap,  which  not  only  drives  out  the  Beetles,  but  pre- 
vents their  eggs  from  being  hatched.  Still,  when  a  tree 
becomes  unhealthy,  the  attacks  of  the  Scolytus  prevent  it  from 
recovering  itself;  and  such  serious  damage  has  been  done  by 
this  insect  to  our  trees,  especially  the  elms  in  and  about 
London,  that  the  attention  of  entomologists  has  long  been 
directed  to  the  subject,  in  hopes  of  discovering  s6me  device  by 
which  the  ravages  of  the  Scolytus  may  be  checked,  if  not 
altogether  stopped.  As  yet,  however,  no  scheme  has  suc- 
ceeded. Various  plans  have  been  suggested,  such  as  injecting 
poisonous  fluids  into  the  hole  made  by  the  mother  Scolytus. 
This  might  possibly  answer,  provided  the  operator  could  be 
sure  of  discovering  all  the  holes,  and  provided  that  the  liquid 
did  not  kill  the  tree  as  well  as  the  insect.  The  '  Grishurst 
Compound  '  would  do  as  much  in  this  way  as  anything  could, 
but  it  cannot  be  employed  on  a  large  scale. 

At  present,  the  opinion  seems  to  be  that  the  only  plan  which 
oflfers  the  least  probability  of  success  is  a  '  stamping  out '  pro- 
cess, similar  to  that  which  saved  us  in  the  time  of  the  cattle- 
plague.  By  this  plan,  all  trees  which  are  visibly  attacked  by 
the  Scolytus  are  to  be  cut  down,  and  stripped  of  their  bark  and 
the  outer  layer  of  wood,  which  are  then  to  be  burned,  so  as  to 
destroy  the  Scolytus,  its  larvae,  pupae,  and  eggs. 

Dr.  Chapman  states  that  all  the  species  of  Scolytus  are  in  the 
habit  of  fighting  with   each  other.     They  'have  a  fashion  of 


190  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

placing  Iheir  foreheads  against  other  individuals,  and  giving  a 
thrust  by  pushing  forward  the  jaws.  They  employ  this  process 
to  remove  another  Beetle  from  a  station  which  they  desire  to 
occupy ;  it  appears  also  to  be  an  expression  of  anger,  sometimes 
two  Beetles  having  an  encounter  in  this  way ;  and  they  use  the 
same  movement  in  recomm.ending  themselves  to  the  other  sex.' 

Our  last  example  of  the  Weevils  is  a  tiny  Beetle,  which, 
though  quite  as  destructive  as  the  Scolytus,  is,  happily  for  us, 
not  nearly  so  plentiful.  It  is  called  Tomicus  typographicus, 
and  a  figure  of  it  is  given  on  Woodcut  XX.  Fig.  4.  This 
genus  is  distinguished  by  the  club  of  the  antennae,  which  is 
four-jointed  and  rounded.  The  present  species  is  blackish, 
clothed  with  rather  long  yellow  hair.  The  thorax  is  very  long, 
and  there  is  a  space  between  it  and  the  elytra,  which  are  deeply 
striated  and  punctated  ;  the  spaces  between  the  striae  being 
convex  and  smooth.  The  apex  of  the  elytra  is  abrupt  and 
rather  turned  up,  and  has  six  distinct  teeth,  the  fourth  being 
the  largest. 

This  insect  attacks  the  fir,  and  in  some  parts  of  Europe  does 
even  worse  harm  to  those  trees  than  the.  Scolytus  does  to  the 
elm  in  this  country.  The  larva  makes  tunnels  under  the  bark, 
but,  instead  of  proceeding  in  a  tolerably  straight  line,  as  does  the 
larva  of  Scolytus,  it  makes  a  devious  tracks  which  often  presents 
a  fanciful  resemblance  to  letters ;  hence  its  name  of  typo- 
grapkicus,  or  '  letter-writer.' 

In  the  pine-producing  districts  of  Germany  there  is  great 
dread  of  this  Beetle,  which  is  popularly  called  the  Turk,  the 
tracks  left  by  its  larva  being  known  by  the  name  of  Wurm- 
trockniss.  So  terrible  are  sometimes  the  ravages  of  this  Beetle, 
that  towards  the  end  of  the  last  century  more  than  a  million 
and  a  half  of  trees  were  destroyed  by  the  Tomicus  in  the  Hartz 
forest  alone,  without  reckoning  those  that  perished  in  other 
parts  of  the  country.  Thirteen  species  of  this  genus  are  known 
to  inhabit  England,  and  some  of  them  are  plentiful. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

LONGJCORNES. 

This  group  of  Beetles  derives  its  name  from  the  shape  of  the 
antennge,  which  are  generally  long,  though  in  some  of  our 
commonest  species  they  are  only  of  moderate  length  ;  but, 
whether  they  be  long  or  short,  they  are  never  clubbed,  and  are 
mostly  slender  and  thread-like.  Their  head  is  not  lengthened 
into  a  beak  like  that  of  the  preceding  group,  and  the  elytra  are 
always  broader  at  the  base  than  the  thorax.  There  are  other 
peculiarities  of  structure,  but  these  are  quite  sufficient  to  dis- 
tinguish them.  Indeed,  there  is  something  so  characteristic 
in  the  appearance  of  a  Lougicom  Beetle,  that  even  a  novice 
finds  no  difficulty  in  recognising  it. 

They  are  all  wood-borers  in  the  larval  condition,  and  are 
thin,  long,  whitish  grubs,  rather  flattened,  and  with  the  seg- 
ments boldly  marked.  By  means  of  this  latter  structure,  the 
larvae  are  able  to  force  their  way  through  the  wooden  tunnels  in 
which  they  live.  They  possess  the  usual  six  legs,  but  these 
limbs  are  only  rudimentary,  and  of  no  use  in  locomotion.  One 
of  these  larvse  is  shown  on  Woodcut  XX.  Fig.  a.  As  the  grub 
has  to  feed  upon  hard  material,  it  is  furnished  with  very  strong 
horny  jaws,  and,  in  order  to  accommodate  the  muscles  which 
move  these  jaws,  the  head  is  very  broad  and  covered  with  a  hard 
skin,  nearly  as  strong  indeed  as  the  jaws  themselves.  In  conse- 
quence of  their  habits,  the  proceedings  of  the  larvae  are  difficult 
of  observation,  and  require  machinery  such  as  few  entomolo- 
gists can  hope  to  possess.  Still,  by  carefully  opening  the  trees 
which  are  infested  by  these  destructive  insects,  much  can  be 
learned  of  their  habits,  and  many  pleasant  and  instructive 
hours  can  be  spent  in  this  task.  We  will  now  proceed  to 
examine  some  of  the  British  species  of  the  Longicorn  Beetles. 

OuK  first  example  is  the  largest,  though  by  no  means  the 


192  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

handsomest,  of  our  Long-horned  Beetles.  It  is  called  Prionu8 
coriarius,  and  is  represented  of  the  natural  size  on  Woodcut 
XX.  Fig.  3.  It  is  the  only  British  representation  of  its 
family,  the  Prionidse,  though  there  are  many  exotic  species 
belonging  to  it.  In  this  family  the  labrum  is  so  small  that  it 
is  scarcely  visible,  while  the  mandibles  are  large  and  strong. 
The  antennse  are  moderately  serrated,  and  inserted  just  above 
the  base  of  the  mandibles,  and  the  head  is  not  narrowed  behind 
into  a  neck.  The  thorax  is  rather  squared  and  furnished  with 
spines  at  the  sides,  and  the  elytra  are  lengthened,  with  blunt 
spines  at  the  tips. 

The  colour  of  this  Beetle  is  blackish-brown  above  and  chest- 
nut-brown below,  the  colour  being,  however,  rather  variable  in 
different  individuals.  Like  the  Stag  Beetle  it  is  exceedingly 
variable  in  size,  some  specimens  being  twice  as  large  as  others, 
the  difference  in  size  being  probably  owing  to  the  quality  and 
quantity  of  the  food.  The  larva  is  white,  flattish,  broad  at  the 
part  which  will  afterwards  become  the  thorax,  but  narrowing 
towards  the  tail.  The  rings,  or  segments,  are  deeply  marked, 
and  the  legs  are  very  small,  the  grub  being  able  to  force 
itself  through  its  burrow  by  the  alternate  extension  and  con- 
traction of  its  body.  In  this  task  it  is  aided  by  certain  fleshy 
projections  attached  to  the  segments  which  constitute  the 
abdomen.  One  of  these  larv«  is  shown  on  Woodcut  XX. 
Fig.  a. 

When  it  is  nearly  full-fed,  it  makes  its  way  towards  the  bark 
of  the  tree  on  which  it  feeds,  and  then  forms  from  the  wood- 
chips  a  cocoon,  in  which  it  awaits  its  change  into  the  pupal  form. 
In  this  stage  of  development,  the  long  and  boldly  notched  an- 
tennse are  laid  along  the  sides  of  the  body,  over  the  elytra. 

This  is  not  a  common  Beetle,  being  necessarily  restricted  to 
wooded  districts.  It  is,  however,  much  more  plentiful  than  is 
generally  supposed,  owing  to  its  peculiar  habits,  which  with- 
draw it  from  the  notice  of  all  but  skilful  entomologists,  who 
not  only  know  where  to  look  for  it,  but  how  to  recognise  it 
when  they  see  it.  For  the  Prionus  is  a  lazy,  sluggish  sort  of 
insect,  which  seldom  betrays  itself  to  the  unpractised  eye.  It 
is  essentially  a  being  of  darkness,  and,  contrary  to  the  habits 
of  many  Beetles,  carries  into  its  adult  life  the  darkling  ways 
of  its  early  stages  of  existence.      During  the  day  it  remains 


PLATE   VI. 

GLOW-WORM,     OIL-BEETLES,     WEEVILS,     LONG-HORNS, 
AND    LADY-BIRDS. 


if 


1.  Lampyris  noctiluca  (Male). 

2.  Lampyris  noctiluca  (Female). 

3.  Meloe  cicatricosus  (Male). 

4.  Meloe  cicatricosus  (Female). 

o.  Meloe  cicatricosus,  larva  (full  grown). 

6.  Phytonoinus  tigrinus. 

7.  Lixus  bicolor. 

8.  Lixus  bicolor,  nest. 

9.  Aromia  moschata. 

10.  Clytus  arietis. 

11.  Cassida  muiina. 

12.  Coccinella  septempunctata. 

Plants  : — 

Willow  {Salix  alba).     Above. 

Wild  Carrot  (Daucus  carota).     Left  of  Middle. 


'iiliiiiiilil^^ 


MUSK  BEETLE.  193 

perfectly  still,  clinging  to  the  trunk  of  some  tree,  and  harmo- 
nising so  well  with  the  colour  of  the  surface  that  it  may  easily 
be  mistaken  for  a  mere  excrescence  of  the  bark.  By  night, 
however,  it  flies  in  search  of  its  mate,  and  is  sometimes  seen  by 
entomologists  who  are  engaged  in  the  pleasing  task  of  '  sugar- 
ing' for  moths  at  night  in  some  wood.  Darenth  Wood  is  one 
of  the  favoured  localities  of  this  insect,  two  specimens  of  which 
were  'lately  captured  there  by  E.  Evans,  Esq.,  as  they  were 
clinging  to  the  bark  in  fancied  security. 

The  name  Prionus  is  taken  from  a  Greek  word,  which  signi- 
fies a  sawyer,  and  is  given  to  the  insect  on  account  of  its  wood- 
iestroying  habits. 

Next  in  order  comes  the  family  of  the  Cerambycidse.  This 
name  is  a  Grreek  one,  and  is  apparently  given  to  the  group  of 
Beetles  on  account  of  their  long  antennae,  or  horns,  the  Grreek 
word  keras  (unfortunately  written  ceras)  signifying  a  horn. 
In  this  family,  the  head  is  slightly  bent  downwards,  the  thorax 
is  widened  at  the  sides,  and  the  antennse,  which  are  never 
serrated,  are  inserted  in  the  inner  margin  of  the  eyes,  which 
are  semilunar. 

Our  first  example'  is  the  beautiful  Musk  Beetle  [AroTnia 
[or  Cerambyx]  moschata),  an  insect  which  is  equally  grateful 
to  the  eye  and  the  nostril.  One  of  these  Beetles  is  shown  on 
Plate  VI.  Fig.  9.  This  is  really  a  lovely  insect,  the  shape 
being  peculiarly  elegant,  and  the  colour  a  soft  green,  some- 
times glossed  with  blue,  gold,  copper,  or  bronze,  the  hue  being 
exceedingly  variable.  Even  the  thorax  partakes  of  this  varia- 
bility, being  sometimes  rough,  and  sometimes  very  smooth. and 
glossy. 

It  owes  its  popular  name  to  the  powerful  and  pleasing  odour 
which  it  exhales,  and  which  is  said  by  some  persons  to  resemble 
ottar  of  roses.  For  my  part,  I  never  could  perceive  much  re- 
semblance between  the  somewhat  sickly  scent  of  the  ottar  and 
the  fresh  sweetbriar-like  odour  of  the  Beetle.  This  scent  can 
be  perceived  at  a  considerable  distance,  and  the  presence  of  the 
Beetle  can  often  be^  detected  by  it,  even  when  the  insect  is 
itself  concealed.  Shortly  after  I  came  to  live  in  West  Kent,  I 
was  passing  along  the  road,  and  declared  that  a  Musk  Beetle 
vras  in  the  neighbourhood.     My  companions,  not  knowing  the 


194  INSECTS  AT  HOJDE. 

scent,  conld  not  believe  me,  and  made  themselves  rather  merry 
on  the  subject.  In  the  com'se  of  the  day,  however,  one  of  the 
same  party,  a  young  lady,  was  passing  by  the  same  place,  and 
carried  off  a  fine  Musk  Beetle  in  her  hair. 

The  scent  of  this  insect  is  said  to  be  more  powerful  in  the 
breeding  season  than  at  any  other  time  of  the  year,  and 
stronger  in  the  female  than  in  the  male.  This  is  very  likely 
to  be  the  case,  and  will  serve  to  explain  the  mysterious  manner 
in  which  many  night-flying  insects  contrive  to  find  their  mates 
in  the  hours  of  darkness.  In  the  present  instance,  the  odour 
brppens  to  be  one  of  which  our  senses  are  cognisant ;  but  it 
may  well  be  that  other  insects,  though  to  our  nostrils  absolutely 
scentless,  may  yet  emit  an  odour  which  is  as  evident  to  them  as 
is  that  of  the  Musk  Beetle  to  us.  The  scent  of  this  insect  is  as 
enduring  as  it  is  powerful,  and,  if  the  Beetle  be  held  with  a 
gloved  hand,  or  wrapped  in  a  handkerchief,  i-t  will  impart  either 
to  the  kid  or  cambric  its  peculiar  odour,  which  will  last  for  a 
very  long  time.  From  a  series  of  experiments  made  some  few 
years  ago,  I  have  come  to  the  conclusion  that  the  Musk  Beetle 
can  emit  or  retain  its  odour  at  pleasure  as  long  as  it  is  in  full 
health,  but  that  when  the  insect  is  weak^  or  in  a  dying  state,  it 
is  unable  to  retain  the  scent. 

The  Musk  Beetle  is  one  of  the  Beetles  which  are  popularly 
called  Squeakers,  on  account  of  the  sound  which  they  are 
capable  of  producing,  and  which  somewhat  resembles  the  squeak 
of  a  bat.  If  the  reader  will  watch  one  of  these  insects  while 
producing  the  sound  in  question,  he  will  find  that  it  moves  its 
head  smartly  up  and  down,  so  as  to  cause  the  sound  by  the 
friction  of  one  part  of  the  hard  surface  against  another.  If  the 
Beetle  be  held  in  the  hand,  the  whole  body  is  perceived  to 
quiver  with  the  exertion. 

Wherever  willow-trees  are  to  be  foimd  abundantly,  there  the 
Musk  Beetle  is  sure  to  be,  because  it  feeds  on  the  interior  of 
that  tree  while  in  the  larval  state.  The  ground  on  which  my 
house  stands  being  very  high,  and  the  soil  being  gravel,  I  was 
very  much  surprised  at  perceiving  the  Musk  Beetle  which  has 
just  been  mentioned,  thinking  that  no  willow-trees  were  near. 
However,  after  a  while,  I  came  upon  some  of  these  trees,  at  a 
distance  of  some  ;300  yards,  growing  on  the  banks  of  a  Lttle 
stream   that  ran  in  the  valley  below.     Sometimes  a  tree  is 


HOME  OF  THE  MUSK   BEETLE.  195 

absolutely  riddled  with  the  burrows  of  these  larvae,  which  bore 
deeply  into  the  very  heart  of  the  timber,  and  leave  little 
except  a  shell  of  bark  surrounding  a  sort  of  soft  wooden  sponge. 

If  one  of  these  trees  be  opened,  the  scene  disclosed  is  a  very 
remarkable  one.  In  the  first  place,  the  scent  of  the  Beetles  is 
overpowering,  and  in  the  next,  the  wood  is  filled  with  a 
wonderful  variety  of  animal  life.  In  some  burrows,  close  to 
the  bark,  may  be  seen  the  glittering  green  bodies  of  newly- 
developed  Beetles,  as  they  lie  waiting  until  their  surfaces  have 
acquired  sufl&cient  hardness  to  enable  them  to  face  the  dangers 
of  the  world ;  in  others  the  helpless  pupae  may  be  seen ;  and  in 
others,  the  white,  flat,  soft-bodied,  hard-headed  larvse  move 
themselves  restlessly  as  they  perceive  the  unwonted  light.  The 
many  burrows  which  have  been  evacuated  by  their  makers  are, 
however,  seldom  empty,  but  have  plenty  of  tenants  in  the  shape 
of  woodlice,  centipedes,  earwigs,  spiders,  millipedes,  and  sundry 
predacious  Beetles,  the  latter  having  evidently  entered  the 
burrows  in  search  of  food. 

Those  who  wish  to  capture  the  Musk  Beetle  will  find  that 
they  cannot  do  better  than  explore  the  largest,  the  oldest,  and 
the  most  rugged  willow-trees.  The  Musk  Beetle  is  not  a  very 
active  insect,  and  is  fond  of  clinging  to  the  bark  of  the  willow, 
and  remaining  perfectly  still  for  many  hours  together.  I  may 
mention  that  the  surface  of  this  Beetle  affords  a  most  gorgeous 
object  for  the  microscope. 

On  Woodcut  XX.  Fig.  5,  is  drawn  a  very  pretty  Beetle 
called  Callidium  violaceum.  In  this  genus  the  head  is  sunk 
in  the  thorax  nearly  as  far  as  the  eyes,  which  are  semilunar. 
The  body  is  slender,  and  the  legs  short. 

The  present  species  derives  its  specific  name  from  its  colour, 
which  is  violet,  sometimes  glossed  with  green  or  bronze. 
Whatever  may  be  the  exact  hue,  a  deep,  rich,  shining  violet  is 
always  the  predominant  colour — a  violet  that  would  make 
the  fortune  of  any  dyer  if  he  could  only  transfer  it  to  silk. 
The  eljTtra  are  thickly  and  coarsely  punctured.  This  pretty 
little  Beetle  is  thought  to  have  been  introduced  into  this 
country  from  America.  It  is  well  known  that  wood-boring 
Beetles  are  often  transported  from  one  country  to  another,  the 
larva  or  pupa  remaining  in  the  wood  after  the  tree  is  cut  down 

o  2 


196  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

and  shaped  into  timber.  Sometimes  a  Beetle  has  been  known 
to  emerge  from  a  piece  of  furnitm-e  which  has  been  in  the 
house  for  several  years,  the  changed  conditions  having  retarded 
the  growth  of  the  Beetle.  This  insect  inhabits  the  fir-tree, 
and,  as  it  has  of  late  years  become  comparatively  plentiful  from 
being  one  of  our  rarest  Beetles,  it  is  likely  that  many  specimens 
are  imported  in  tlie  fir  cargoes  from  Canada,  where  it  is  one  of 
the  commonest  of  insects. 

The  owners  of  the  trees  in  question  would  be  only  too  glad  if 
the  Beetle  were  less  common,  for  it  does  very  great  damage  to 
the  timber,  seizing  upon  the  trees  soon  after  they  are  felled, 
and  laying  its  eggs  in  crevices  of  the  bark.  When  the  larvse 
are  hatched  they  set  to  work  at  their  burrows,  driving  oblique 
tunnels  deeply  into  the  body  of  the  tree,  and  so  spoiling  the 
timber.  As  is  necessary  for  such  a  task,  the  larva  is  furnished 
with  exceedingly  stout  and  strong  mandibles.  Four  British 
species  of  Callidium  are  known. 

On  Plate  VI.  Fig.  10,  maybe  seen  a  figure  of  a  very  common 
and  very  pretty  Beetle,  belonging  to  the  same  family,  and 
known  to  entomologists  by  the  name  of  Clytus  arietis.  In  this 
genus  the  antennae  are  shorter  than  the  body,  the  last  joint 
being  somewhat  conical.  The  palpi  are  short,  with  the  last 
joint  stout  and  three-sided,  the  angles  being  rounded.  The 
thorax  is  globular,  and  the  body  is  cylindrical. 

The  colour  of  this  species  is  black,  with  three  yellow  bands 
across  the  elytra,  and  a  yellow  patch  at  their  tips,  so  that  the 
insect  has  a  very  waspish  look,  and  is  popularly  known  as  the 
Wasp  Beetle.  The  similitude  is  increased  by  its  fussy  mode 
of  walking,  and  the  perpetual  movement  of  its  antennse,  and, 
as  it  crawls  in  and  out  of  the  foliage  on  hedges,  it  has  so  very 
wasp-like  a  look  that  few  persons,  except  they  be  entomologists, 
like  to  touch  it.  In  its  larval  state  it  burrows  into  wood,  and 
emerges  somewhere  about  midsummer.  It  is  fond  of  fre- 
quenting flowers,  and  can  be  taken  in  almost  any  quantity. 
Being  rather  variable  in  the  hue  of  its  markings  as  well  as  in 
size,  a  series  ought  to  be  taken  for  the  cabinet. 

Like  many  wood-boring  insects,  it  sometimes  makes  its  ap- 
pearance when  it  is  least  expected.  In  1833,  for  example,  Mr. 
Denny  described  a  cm-ious  visitation  of  the  Wasp  Beetle  in  his 


CURIOUS  APPEARANCE   OF  THE  WASP  BEETLE.  197 

museum.  He  had  a  case  of  stufifed  birds,  in  which  the  birds 
had  been  made  to  perch  on  oak  branches.  These  branches  had 
been  first  carefully  dried  and  then  baked,  and  yet,  after  the 
lapse  of  three  years,  three  specimens  of  the  Wasp  Beetle 
emerged  from  the  branches,  having  survived  the  very  un- 
pleasant process  to  which  they  had  been  subjected. 

This  is  not  a  solitary  instance  of  the  appearance  of  the  Wasp 
Beetle.  In  1865  a  piece  of  pollard  oak  was  sent  to  the  British 
Museum,  for  the  purpose  of  exhibiting  the  round,  hard  galls  of 
Cynips  lignicola,  which  was  then  not  nearly  so  common  as  it  is 
now.  The  oak,  with  its  crop  of  galls,  was  placed  in  a  glass 
case,  together  with  a  large  lump  of  camphor,  a  material  which 
is  supposed  to  be  poisonous  to  insects.  Yet,  on  every  suc- 
ceeding spring,  several  specimens  of  the  Wasp  Beetle  made 
their  escape  from  the  wood  in  which  they  had  passed  their 
larval  state,  the  camphor  having  had  no  injurious  effect  upon 
them.  A  still  more  curious  example  of  the  unexpected  ap- 
pearance of  a  wood-boring  Beetle  will  presently  be  mentioned. 

Our  last  example  of  this  family  is  shown  on  Woodcut  XXI. 
Fig.  1.  Its  name  is  Gh^acllia  jpygmcea.  This  genus  is  to  be 
distinguished  by  the  long,  slender  body,  the  clubbed  femora, 
the  long  fifth  joint  of  the  antennte,  and  the  elongated  last  joint 
of  the  palpi. 

As  its  specific  name  implies,  this  is  a  very  small  insect,  never 
exceeding  a  quarter  of  an  inch  in  length,  and  being  generally 
much  less.  The  colour  of  the  Beetle  is  reddish-brown,  with 
the  exception  of  the  under  surface  of  the  abdomen,  which  is 
shining-black.  There  is  an  angular  projection  iti  the  middle  of 
the  elytra. 

This  tiny  wood-borer  is  one  of  those  insects  which  are  very 
local,  but  very  plentiful  in  those  places  which  they  choose  for 
their  residence.  Sometimes  it  prefers  to  live  in  houses,  and 
sometimes  in  the  open  air.  It  takes  as  great  a  range  in  point 
of  diet  as  in  residence.  Its  ordinary,  and  indeed  its  normal, 
food  is  decaying  wood,  and  the  insect  may  accordino-ly  be 
found  in  old  railings  and  similar  localities.  '  But  it  sometimes 
takes  a  strange  fancy  for  leather,  and  has  been  captured  in 
some  numbers  while  feeding  on  old  shoes.  Sometimes  speci- 
mens of  this  insect  have  been  taken  in  the  middle  of  flour- 


198 


INSECTS  AT  HOME. 


barrels ;  the  larvae  having  probably  been  hatched  in  the  wood 
of  which  the  staves  were  made,  and  then  relinquished  their 
original  habitations  for  the  richer  diet  furnished  by  the  flour. 

We  now  come  to  a  most  extraordinary  insect,  which  is  drawn 
on  Woodcut  XXI.  Fig.  3.  It  goes  by  a  great  number  of 
names.     The   scientific   title   by  which   it   is   now   known  is 


1.  Gracilia  pygmrea. 
5.  Rhagium  inquisitor. 


2.  Strangalia  annata.      3.  Astinomus  asdilis.      4.  Pogonocerus  pilosus. 


Astinomus  cedilis.  There  is  no  possibility  of  mistaking  this 
insect,  our  sole  representative  of  its  genus,  which  may  be 
known  by  the  broad  flattened  body,  the  tubercles  on  the  sides  of 
the  thorax,  and  the  enormous  length  of  the  antennae,  which  in 
the  females  are  twice  as  long  as  the  body,  and  in  the  males  some- 
times more  than  four  times  the  length  of  the  body.  This 
inordinate  length  is  obtained  by  the  elongation  of  the  joints, 
not  by  multiplying  them. 


THE  TIMBERMAN.  199 

This  is  essentially  a  uurthem  insect,  being  seldom  seen  alive 
south  of  Scotland.  Rannoch  Wood  is  the  best  known  locality 
for  this  wonderful  Beetle,  and  in  that  favoured  spot  the  ex- 
perienced entomologist  will  generally  manage  to  captui-e  it. 
Indeed,  it  is  plentiful  enough  to  have  gained  a  popular  name, 
that  of  TiMBERMAN,  uot  ouly  because  it  frequents  timber,  but 
because  its  long  antenna?  present,  when  spread,  a  curious  resem- 
blance to  a  pair  of  compasses,  these  being  used  by  the  timber- 
men  in  calculating  the  cubic  contents  of  a  tree-trunk  or  log  of 
wood.  The  specific  name,  cedilis,  is  that  of  the  officer  who  in 
ancient  timas  had  charge  of  houses  and  public  buildings. 
When  the  insect  flies,  the  long  antennoD  trail  behind  it,  and 
present  a  very  cm'ious  appearance. 

Unfortunately  for  the  entomologist,  the  males  are  exceed- 
ingly quarrelsome,  and  when  two  of  them  meet  together  they 
are  sure  to  fight,  especially  if  one  of  the  opposite  sex  be  at 
hand.  Their  combats  are  so  fierce  that  mutilation  is  sure  to 
be  the  result  to  one  or  both,  so  that  a  perfectly  complete 
specimen  is  of  no  small  value  for  the  cabinet. 

In  its  larval  state  the  Timberman  Beetle  lives  in  the  in- 
terior of  pine  stumps,  its  tunnels  being  of  considerable  size. 
When  it  is  full-fed,  it  makes  a  nest  near  the  bark,  in  which  it 
changes  to  the  pupal  state.  The  pupa  of  a  male  Timberman 
presents  a  very  curious  sight.  All  insects  with  long  anteunte  have 
some  remarkable  mode  of  packing  them  away  while  they  still 
retain  the  pupal  form.  In  this  Beetle  they  are  brought  down 
by  the  sides,  along  the  body,  and  then  curled  back  again  over 
the  head,  so  as  to  make  two  large  loops,  one  on  each  side.- 
The  larva  changes  to  the  pupal  form  somewhere  about  the  end 
of  May,  changes  again  to  the  perfect  form  in  about  a  month, 
but  does  not  leave  its  nest  until  the  following  summer,  its 
surface  gradually  gaining  consistence  and  hardness  during  the 
time  of  its  long  repose. 

It  has  been  already  mentioned  that  this  is  a  northern  insect. 
Only  the  day  before  writing  this  account  I  was  in  the  British 
Museum,  and  asked  whether  the  Timberman  had  ever  been 
taken  in  any  of  the  southern  parts  of  England.  The  answer 
was,  that  the  only  southern  place  where  it  had  been  captured 
alive  was  the  British  Museum.  The  insect  had  been  discovered 
within  the  walls  of  the  Museum,  having  evidently  escaped 


200  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

from  timber  which  was  being  used  for  building  purposes.  This 
Beetle  has  also  been  discovered  embedded  in  a  seam  of  coal  at 
Coatbridge,  at  a  depth  of  nearly  900  feet  from  the  level  of  the 
ground.  It  is  evident  that  the  insect  must  have  emerged 
from  some  of  the  timber  which  is  so  largely  employed  in  coal- 
mines. 

A  EATHER  remarkable  Beetle  is  shown  on  "Woodcut  XXI. 
Fig.  4.  Its  name  is  Pogonocerus  pilosus,  both  of  which  titles 
refer  to  the  structure  of  the  antennae.  In  this  genus  the  body 
is  short  and  rather  convex,  the  disc  of  the  thorax  is  covered 
with  tubercles,  the  tips  of  the  elytra  are  developed  into  spines, 
and  the  antennae  are  covered  beneath  with  a  clothing  of  hair. 
The  generic  title  Pogonocerus  (mostly,  but  wrongly,  spelt 
Pogonocherus)  is  formed  from  two  Greek  words,  the  one  signi- 
fying a  beard  and  the  other  a  horn ;  so  that  the  whole  word 
may  be  translated  as  '  bearded-horn.'  The  specific  name, 
pilosus,  is  Latin,  and  signifies  'hairy.'  There  are  three 
known  English  species,  one,  Pogonocerus  fascicularis,  being 
very  rare,  and  the  other  two  moderately  plentiful.  The  present 
species  has  the  tubercles  of  the  thorax  pointed,  and  there  are 
two  sharp  spines  on  either  side  of  the  thorax.  The  general 
hue  of  the  insect  is  reddish-brown,  the  elytra  having  a  broad 
grey  band  at  the  base,  and  some  black  spots  near  the  suture. 
They  have  also  a  single  spine  on  the  outer  edge. 

The  second  species,  Pogonocerus  hispidus,  may  be  distin- 
guished by  the  fact  that  it  has  two  tubercles  on  the  upper 
surface  of  the  thorax,  one  spine  on  each  side,  and  the  tip  of 
each  elytron  developed  into  two  teeth,  of  which  the  outer  is 
the  longer.  There  are  also  some  little  black  patches  of  hair 
near  the  tips,  close  by  the  suture.  All  these  species  have  much 
the  same  habits,  and  can  be  found  among  dry  wood. 

The  insect  which  is  represented  on  Woodcut  XXI.  Fig.  5, 
is  called  Rhagium  inquisitor,  and  belongs  to  the  family  of  the 
Lepturidae.  In  this  family  the  eyes  are  nearly  rounded,  and 
the  antennae  are  of  moderate  length  and  set  before  the  eyes. 
The  head  is  bent  rather  downwards  and  narrowed  into  a  neck, 
the  thorax  is  narrower  in  fi'ont  than  the  head,  and  the  elytra  are 
gradually  narrowed  from  the  base  to  the  tips.     In  the  genus 


COCOON   OF  THE  RHAGIUM.  201 

Rhagium  the  body  is  rather  flattened,  and  there  is  a  sharp 
spine  at  either  side  of  the  thorax.  The  word  Rhagium  is  a 
Greek  one,  and  signifies  a  little  berry. 

There  is  not  the  least  difficulty  in  distinguishing  the  present 
species.  The  colour  is  blackish,  but  the  surface  is  covered 
with  a  very  fine  yellowish  down,  and  is  thickly  punctated. 
The  elytra  have  an  elevated  line,  or  rib,  running  longitu- 
dinally along  them  ;  and  upon  the  middle,  or  disc,  there  are 
two  irregular  reddish-yellow  bands,  placed  as  shown  in  the 
illustration.  During  its  larval .  existence  this  insect  lives  in 
decaying  ash  and  willow-trees,  and  may  be  dug  out  of  them  in 
spring,  and  found  on  and  about  them  in  summer. 

There  is  another  species,  not  so  common  as  the  former, 
which  inhabits  decaying  fir-trees.  Only  a  short  time  before 
writing  this  account,  I  dug  several  of  them  out  of  some  fir- 
stumps  near  my  house.  In  one  small  stump,  not  more  than 
seven  inches  in  diameter,  I  found  four  specimens.  The  name 
of  this  species  is  Rhagium  bifasciatum.  It  is  marked  much 
as  is  the  preceding  insect,  but  may  be  known  by  a  conspicuous 
groove  along  the  top  of  the  head,  and  the  fact  that  the  elytra 
have  three  longitudinal  ridges  instead  of  one.  The  yelluw 
bands,  too,  are  shorter,  and  the  colour  both  of  these  and  the 
elytra  is  exceedingly  variable. 

It  is  a  remarkable  fact  that  these  insects  invariably  assume  a 
perpendicular  position  before  changing  into  the  pupal  form. 
They  may  always  be  found  with  their  heads  upwards,  and  their 
antennae  and  legs  packed  closely  against  their  bodies.  Their 
behaviour  when  the  light  is  allowed  to  shine  on  them  is  rather 
variable,  and  depends  much  on  the  weather.  Should  the  day 
be  a  warm  one,  the  Ehagium  seems  glad  to  escape,  and 
struggles  hard  to  free  itself  from  the  decaying  wood  with  which 
it  is  surrounded ;  but  on  a  cold  day,  especially  if  there  be  a 
sharp  wind,  the  insect  retreats  as  far  as  possible  into  its  curious 
nest,  and  tries  to  shelter  itself  alike  from  wind  and  light. 

The  nest,  or  cocoon,  which  the  Beetle  makes  is  a  very 
curious  one.  Just  before  it  undergoes  its  change  into  the  pupal 
form,  it  prepares  an  oval  chamber,  and  within  this  chamber 
makes  a  cocoon  from  rather  long  wood-chips,  which  it  arrano-es 
with  great  art,  so  as  to  form  a  soft  bed  in  which  it  can  repose 
during  the  long  period  of  quiescence.    It  is  not  easy  to  procure 


202  INSECTS  AT  HOME, 

one  of  these  nests,  owing  to  the  fragility  of  the  material.  One 
of  them,  in  which  a  female  Ehagium  was  reposing,  was  found 
in  the  fir- wood  which  has  just  been  mentioned.  The  excava- 
tion is  rather  more  than  an  inch  and  a  quarter  in  depth,  and 
the  actual  cocoon,  which  lies  at  the  bottom  of  the  burrow,  is 
five-eighths  of  an  inch  long  and  not  quite  a  quarter  of  an  inch 
wide.  The  mouth  of  the  excavation,  however,  is  an  inch  and 
a  quarter  in  length,  and  a  little  more  than  a  quarter  of  an 
inch  in  width.  I  noticed  that  the  inhabitant  of  this  burrow, 
instead  of  availing  herself  of  the  opportunity  of  escape,  as  did 
all  the  others,  crept  closely  into  the  recesses  of  the  cocoon  as 
soon  as  it  was  opened,  and  would  not  leave  it  until  she  was 
removed  by  force.  The  same  stump  contained  two  other 
nests  of  the  Ehagium,  but  none  so  perfect  as  that  which  has 
been  described. 

Another  Beetle,  belonging  to  the  same  family,  is  shown  on 
Woodcut  XXI.  Fig.  2,  and  is  known  by  tlie  name  of  Strangalia 
armata.  In  this  genus  the  thorax  is  without  spines,  is  narrow  in 
front  and  flattened  above.  The  body  is  very  narrow  and  almost 
pointed  behind.  The  front  of  the  head  is  rather  lengthened. 
The  present  species  has  the  ends  of  the  elytra  deeply  cut,  so  as 
to  form  a  rounded  notch  \nth.  toothed  edges,  and  the  male  can 
be  recognised  by  two  conspicuous  tooth-like  processes  on  the 
inner  side  of  the  hinder  tibiae.  Owing  to  these  peculiarities,  the 
specific  name  of  armata,  or  '  armed,'  has  been  given  to  the 
Beetle.  In  colour  and  size  it  is  one  of  the  most  variable  of 
British  Beetles,  scarcely  any  two  specimens  being  exactly  alike. 
Sometimes  it  is  almost  entirely  black  barred  with  yellow, 
sometimes  yellow  barred  with  black,  while  it  varies  in  length 
from  five  lines  to  three-quarters  of  an  inch.  Being  so  variable, 
the  entomologist  ought  to  have  a  series  of  specimens  in  his 
cabinet.  There  is  not  the  least  difficulty  in  obtaining  them, 
as  it  is  a  very  common  Beetle,  and  can  be  found  in  plenty 
upon  the  umbelliferous  plants — these  being  the  favourite 
resorts  of  many  Beetles.  It  is  tolerably  active,  and  takes  to 
the  wing  as  soon  as  it  is  alarmed.  Seven  species  of  this  genus 
are  known  in  England. 


CHAPTER  Xm. 

EUPODA. 

We  now  leave  the  Longicorn  Beetles,  and  come  to  another 
section,  called  the  Eupoda,  a  name  derived  from  two  Greek 
words,  signifying  '  beautiful  feet.'  By  some  authors  the 
section  is  named  Phytophaga,  this  word  being  also  of  Greek 
origin,  and  signifying  'plant-eater.'  They  are  all  pretty 
insects,  and  some  of  them,  though  not  large,  are  singularly 
beautiful  both  in  form  and  colour.  In  the  Beetles  belonging 
to  this  section  the  antennae  are  short  and  slender,  and  have  a 
short  basal  joint.  The  head  is  deeply  sunk  into  the  thorax, 
the  elytra  cover  the  sides  of  the  abdomen,  and  the  last  joint 
but  one  of  the  tarsus  has  two  lobes.  They  are  all  vegetable- 
feeders,  and,  as  most  of  them  are  attached  to  certain  plants, 
there  is  little  difficulty  in  finding  them. 

Passing  by  the  family  of  the  Sagridoe,  of  which  we  have  but 
four  species  in  England,  all  belonging  to  one  genus,  we  begin 
with  the  Donaciadse.  In  this  family  the  antennoe  are  longer 
than  is  usually  the  case  with  the  Eupoda,  and  they  are  set  just 
in  front  of  the  eyes.  The  head  is  large  in  front  and  narrowed 
behind,  and  the  first  segment  of  the  abdomen  is  very  long. 
Our  example  of  this  family  belongs  to  the  typical  genus,  and 
is  known  to  entomologists  by  the  name  of  Donacia  menyan- 
thidis,  a  figure  of  which  is  given  on  Woodcut  XXII.  Fig.  1. 
In  this  genus  the  body  is  flattened,  polished,  and  shining  above, 
thickly  punctured,  and  having  altogether  a  metallic  aspect. 
Below,  it  is  covered  with  a  very  fine  down.  The  antennae  have 
the  fourth  and  following  joints  elongated,  as  may  be  seen  by 
reference  to  the  same  woodcut,  Fig.  e. 

All  the  Donacise  may  be  found  on  water-plants,  especially  on 
reeds,  from  which  they  derive  the  generic  name,  Donax  being 
a  Greek  word,  signifying  a  reed.    Although  some  of  the  species 


204 


INSECTS  AT  HOME. 


are  rather  rare,  the  Donacise  are,  beyond  comparison,  the  most 
common  of  water-frequenting  Beetles,  and  the  leaves  of  reeds, 
water-lilies,  and  other  plants  are  often  studded  with  these 
beautiful  insects,  whose  polished  and  variously-coloured  bodies 
glitter  in  the  sunbeams  like  living  gems.  As  many  of  the 
species  are  exceedingly  variable  in  colour,  it  will  be  as  well  for 


XKIL 


1.  Donacia  Menyanthidis.  2.  Crioceris  merdi^era.  3.  Chrysomela  StarTiyl^a,  4.  Cryp- 
tocephalus  coryli.  5.  Timarcha  iKvigata.  <t.  Chrysomela,  antfiina.  6.  Ciyptocephalus, 
antenna.  c.  Cryptoceiihalis,  labial  palpi.  d.  Cryptocephalus,  maxillary  palpus.  e.  Donacia, 
antenna.       /.  Crioceris,  antenna. 


the  entomologist  to  procure  a  considerable  number  of  speci- 
mens, many,  which  at  first  sight  appear  to  be  different  species, 
being,  when  closely  examined,  seen  to  be  nothing  but  varieties 
of  the  same  species.  There  is  scarcely  a  colour  of  the  rainbow 
which  is  not  exhibited  by  one  or  other  of  the  Donacioe,  and  in 
some  instances  the  same  species  exhibits  an  astonishing  variety 
of  colour — one   being   perhaps    almost   black,   another   blue, 


•  LOSS  OF  COLOUE.  205 

another  green,  another  copper,  another  purple,  another  red, 
while  another  is  as  made  of  burnished  gold. 

The  larvae  of  these  Beetles  live  within  the  stems  of  the 
various  water-plants,  and  on  that  accoimt  the  species  have 
derived  their  names  from  the  plants  on  which  they  live.  One 
species,  for  example,  takes  its  name  from  the  bog-bean,  or 
yellow  water-lily  {Menyanthes  nymphccoides),  on  which  it  is 
found.  Another  is  named  Donacia  typhce,  from  the  common 
bull-rush  or  reed-mace  [Typha  latifolia).  Another  has  the 
name  of  Donacia  sagittarice,  from  the  arrow-head  {Sagittaria 
sagittifolia)  ;  and  so  forth.  Altogether,  exclusive  of  varieties, 
of  which  there  are  a  great  number,  nineteen  British  species  of 
this  beautiful  genus  are  known.  In  some  places  these  Beetles 
are  so  plentiful  that  seven  species  have  been  found  on  water- 
plants  within  the  limits  of  one  small  pond. 

The  present  species  is  shining-green  above  with  a  brassy 
gloss,  and  below  it  is  silvery-white,  owing  to  the  soft  down 
with  which  it  is  clothed.  There  is  a  bold  groove  on  the  front 
of  the  head,  and  the  elytra  are  both  striated  and  '  crenated,'  i.e. 
covered  with  little  marks  formed  like  segments  of  circles.  It 
is  not  a  very  common  species,  being  rather  confined  to  certain 
localities. 

The  next  insect  on  our  list  is  that  which  is  shown  on  Wood- 
cut XXII.  Fig.  2,  and  is  known  by  the  name  of  Criocens 
merdigera.  It  belongs  to  another  family,  the  Crioceridse.  In 
this  family,  the  outlines  of  the  eyes  are  notched,  and  the  antennae 
are  set  in  front,  within  the  inner  margin.  The  mandibles  are 
short  and  abrupt  at  the  tip,  and  have  several  sharp  teeth.  The 
genus  Crioceris  has  the  palpi  slender,  the  joints  of  the  antennae 
short,  and  the  elytra  wide.  The  name  Crioceris  is  formed  from 
two  Greek  words,  signifying  '  ram-horned,'  and  is  given  to  the 
insects  on  account  of  the  form  of  the  antennae. 

Only  three  English  species  of  this  genus  are  known,  of 
which  the  insect  which  is  shown  on  the  illustration  is  by  far 
the  most  remarkable.  Its  colour  is  bright  scarlet,  but  unfor- 
tunately, as  is  the  case  with  many  brilliant  insects,  the  colour 
only  exists  during  life,  and  fades  rapidly  after  death.  This 
fading  is  generally  caused  by  want  of  moisture,  and  in  some 
cases  has  been  checked,  if  not  altogether  stopped,  by  opening 


206  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

the  insect,  and  introducing  a  small  quantity  of  glycerine  into 
the  body  and  under  the  elytra.  This  plan  might  be  tried  on 
the  present  species,  and  certainly  would  do  no  harm  even  if  it 
did  not  succeed.  The  "insect  is  a  very  rare  one,  but  may  be 
taken  in  the  flowers  of  lilies. 

The  larva  of  this  species  feeds  on  lily  leaves,  and  is  pos- 
sessed of  a  habit  which,  though  very  remarkable,  is  found  in 
other  Beetles  belonging  to  the  Eupoda.  The  digestive  appa- 
ratus is  so  formed,  that  the  excrements,  instead  of  being 
dropped,  as  is  the  case  with  most  animals,  are  pushed  upon 
the  back,  where  they  soon  dry,  and  form  a  covering  which 
protects  the  larva  equally  against  the  sun  and  the  rain.  The 
larva  has  the  power  of  freeing  itself  at  will  from  this  very 
singular  covering.  When  full-fed,  the  larva  descends  to  the 
earth,  into  which  it  burrows,  and  there  makes  an  oval  cocoon 
in  which  it  undergoes  its  changes. 

The  best  known  species  of  this  genus  is  the  Aspakagus 
Beetle  [Crioceris  asparagi),  which  feeds  on  the  plant  from 
which  it  derives  its  name.  This  insect  is  much  longer  in  the 
body  than  the  preceding  species,  though  smaller  in  point  of 
size.  It  is  very  prettily  coloured,  the  thorax  being  deep-red, 
and  the  head  and  elytra  shining-blue  or  green-black,  the  latter 
being  marked  with  reddish-yellow,  so  as  to  look  as  if  they  were 
yellow  on  which  a  black  cross  had  been  laid.  The  larvae  are 
grey,  soft-bodied  creatures,  and,  together  with  the  perfect 
insect,  can  be  found  in  any  number  upon  the  asparagus  after  it 
has  been  allowed  to  run  to  seed,  and  wave  its  feathery  branches 
and  pretty  round  fruit  in  the  air. 

The  family  of  the  Cryptocephalidce  is  represented  by  Cryp- 
tocephalus  coryli,  which  is  shown  on  Woodcut  XXII.  Fig.  4. 
In  this  family,  the  head  is  so  deeply  sunk  in  the  thorax  that  it 
is  quite  invisible  from  above,  a  peculiarity  which  has  earned 
for  the  insects  their  name,  which  signifies  '  hidden-head.'  The 
body  is  rather  cylindrical  and  black,  the  antennae  are  slender, 
and  the  eyes  are  kidney-shaped.  The  genus  Cryptocephalus 
has  the  antennae  slender,  and  as  long  as  the  body.  One  of 
these  antennae  is  shown  at  Fig.  b  of  the  same  illustration,  the 
labium  at  c,  and  the  maxilla  palpus  at  d. 


now  TO   CATCH  TIMID  BEETLES.  207 

Many  of  the  species  of  Cryptocephalus  are  very  common,  but, 
plentiful  though  they  be,  cannot  be  taken  without  some  trouble 
and  a  perfect  knowledge  of  their  habits.  They  are  the  wariest 
of  insects,  and  at  the  approach  of  the  would-be  captor  they 
fall  from  the  leaves  on  which  they  have  been  reposing,  and 
allow  themselves  to  drop  to  the  ground. 

I  do  not  know  a  more  irritating  habit  than  this.  Many  of 
our  wariest  insects  take  to  the  wing  at  the  slightest  alarm  ; 
but  in  that  case  there  is  some  hope  of  capturing  them  in 
fair  chase,  and  the  excitement  of  the  hunt  affords  some  com- 
pensation for  the  difficulty  of  capture.  But  when  a  little 
Beetle  simply  lets  itself  fall  among  the  thick  herbage  and 
underwood,  where  even  the  sharpest  eye  can  scarcely  distinguish 
it,  nothing  can  be  more  annoying  to  the  entomologist  who  was 
in  hopes  of  an  easy  capture.  These  lovely  little  Beetles  give 
excellent  practice  to  the  young  entomologist  in  the  art  of 
approaching  insects.  They  will  take  alarm  if  he  moves  with  a 
hasty  or  noisy  tread,  and  they  will  be  sure  to  drop  among  the 
underwood  if  he  allows  even  the  shadow  of  himself  or  his 
net  to  fall  across  them.  Moreover,  as  befits  their  splendid 
clothing,  they  are  creatures  of  light  and  warmth,  and  always 
bask  in  the  sunshine,  so  that  it  is  no  easy  matter  to  come  within 
reach  of  them,  and  yet  to  avoid  throwing  a  shadow  upon  them. 

The  larvce  of  these  Beetles  envelope  themselves  in  a  curious 
pear-shaped  cell,  which  seems  to  be  formed  from  the  same 
materials  as  the  covering  of  the  larva  cf  Crioceris  merdigera, 
described  on  page  206.  These  lovely  little  Beetles  are  of 
various  colours,  among  which  green  and  blue  are  the  most 
common.  The  present  species  is  remarkable  for  the  distinc- 
tion in  colour  between  the  sexes — the  thorax  being  black  in 
the  male  insect,  and  red  in  the  female.  The  head  is  black 
with  a  few  yellowish  spots  on  the  front,  and  the  elytra  are  red, 
and  covered  with  punctures  arranged  in  irregular  lines.  As 
the  specific  name  implies,  it  feeds  on  the  hazel  {Corylus 
avellana),  and  it  has  been  taken  upon  the  leaves  of  that  tree 
in  Darenth  \V.)od,  and  in  Norfolk.  It  is  a  very  rare  species. 
At  least  twenty  species  of  Cryptocephalus  are  known  in 
Enoland,  but  many  additions  are  likely  to  be  made  through 
the  rapid  extension  of  entomological  knowledge,  and  the 
almost  daily  increase  in  number  of  insect-hunters. 


208  INSECTS   AT  HOME. 

Now  we  come  to  a  family  in  which  most  of  the  species  are 
brilliantly  colom-ed ;  and  even  those  in  which  the  hue  is  appa- 
rently of  a  sombre  cast  are  seen,  when  closely  examined,  to  be 
really  clothed  with  as  much  beauty  as  their  more  conspicuous 
relatives.  This  family  is  called  the  Chrysomelidse,  a  name 
which  is  composed  of  two  Grreek  words,  signifying  '  golden 
apple,'  and  is  appropriately  given  to  these  Beetles  on  account 
of  the  globular  shape  of  their  bodies,  and  the  lovely  tints  with 
which  they  are  adorned.  In  these  Beetles  the  head  is  very 
far  sunk  in  the  thorax,  but  not  so  deeply  as  in  the  last-mentioned 
family,  and  the  antennse  are  stouter,  shorter,  and  more  thickened 
towards  the  tip.  One  of  these  antennse  is  shown  on  Woodcut 
XXII.  Fig.  a.  The  body  is  oval  or  round,  and  the  legs  are  of 
equal  size.  In  the  genus  Timarcha,  from  which  our  example 
is  taken,  the  wings  are  not  developed,  and  the  elytra  are  firmly 
soldered  together  at  the  suture,  so  that  they  cannot  be  opened. 

On  Woodcut  XXII.  Fig.  5,  is  represented  an  insect  which  is 
very  plentiful,  and  known  by  the  name  of  Tiinnarcha  Icevigata. 
It  is  better  known,  however,  by  the  popular  name  of  Bloodt- 
NosK  Beetle,  because  it  has  a  habit  of  ejecting  a  large  drop 
of  red  fluid  from  its  mouth  when  it  is  handled.  There  are 
only  two  British  species  belonging  to  this  genus,  and  they  are 
by  far  the  largest  English  representatives  of  the  Chrysomelidse. 
The  present  species  sometimes  nearly  reaches  a  length  of  three- 
quarters  of  an  inch,  and,  as  the  body  is  very  stout  and  globular, 
it  may  take  rank  among  the  larger  British  Beetles. 

At  the  first  glance,  this  insect  appears  to  be  black,  but  a 
careful  examination  with  a  magnifying  glass,  aided  by  a  strong 
light,  shows  that  the  real  colour  is  the  deepest  indigo-purple, 
sometimes  with  a  gloss  of  green.  The  whole  of  the  upper 
surface  is  thickly  covered  with  small  punctures,  which  impart 
to  it  a  sort  of  velvety  gloss.  The  tarsi  are  very  broad,  and 
furnished  beneath  with  thick,  greyish-yellow  pads.  There  is  a 
very  broad  impression  on  the  forehead.  The  second  species, 
Timarcha  coriacea,  much  resembles  the  present  insect.  It  is 
not,  however,  so  large,  and  is  rather  blacker  above.  The  chief 
distinction,  however,  is  to  be  found  in  the  punctures  of  the 
elytra,  which  are  deep,  and  have  a  tendency  to  run  together,  so 
as  to  form  irregular  lines.  This  formation  cannot  be  seen 
without  the  use  of  a  magnifying  glass. 


A  CONSPICUOUS  LARVA.  209 

The  larva  of  this  Bloody-Nose  Beetle  is  wonderfully  like  the 
perfect  insect.  It  is  large,  heavy,  soft-bodied,  and  covered 
with  a  shining  blue  or  green  skin,  a  yellowish  patch  appear- 
ing at  the  apex  of  the  body.  It  is  very  common  in  the  ditches 
under  hedgerows,  especially  if  the  hedge  be  allowed  to  flourish 
in  the  luxuriant  and  picturesque  manner  which  is  so  fascinating 
to  an  artistic  eye,  and  so  hateful  to  the  agricultural  eye  of  the 
farmer,  who  cares  nothing  for  beauty,  and  would  sacrifice  the 
loveliest  country  scene  in  England  to  get  another  cart-load  of 
turnips  out  of  his  field.  How  these  great,  sluggish,  conspicuous 
larvae  ever  escape  the  many  perils  of  larval  life  is  really  won- 
derful. I  can  only  account  for  their  survival  on  the  supposition 
that  they  are  distasteful  to  the  insect-eating  birds.  Very  many 
larvae  of  this  section  secrete  a  bitter,  or  acrid  liquid,  and  the 
Timarcha  larva  may  perhaps  be  protected  by  some  such  means. 

On  Woodcut  XXII.  Fig.  3,  is  represented  a  member  of  the 
typical  genus,  Chrysomela  staphylea.  In  this  genus  the  wings 
are  fully  developed,  and  the  last  joint  of  the  palpi  is  rather 
hatchet-shaped.  The  present  species  is  a  moderately  large  one, 
and  has  the  body  extremely  convex.  The  general  colour  is 
reddish-brown  with  a  slight  metallic  gloss.  The  whole  upper 
surface  is  covered  with  punctures,  those  of  the  head  and  thorax 
being  very  fine,  and  those  of  the  elytra  large  and  irregularly 
disposed.  Beneath,  the  body  is  pale-brown.  There  are  about 
twenty  British  species  of  this  beautiful  genus.  The  present 
species  takes  its  name  from  the  common  Bladder-nut  {Staphy- 
lea pinnata),  upon  which  it  can  be  foujid.  It  is  a  very 
common  insect. 

We  will  take  one  more  example  of  this  family,  namely,  the 
insect  which  is  represented  on  Woodcut  XXIII.  Fig.  1,  and 
is  known  to  entomologists  by  the  name  of  Prasocuris  [or 
Helodes]  beccabungce.  In  this  genus  the  body  is  rather  elon- 
gated, the  wings  are  developed,  and  the  thorax  is  squared. 
This  beautiful  little  insect  is  found  on  the  plant  sometimes 
called  the  Brooklime,  or  Short-leaved  Water  Speedwell  (  Vero- 
nica beccabunga),  that  is  so  plentiful  in  running  streams,  its 
thick  fleshy  stems  reclining  upon  the  water  and  just  upholding 
its  pretty  blue  flower. 


210 


INSECTS  AT  HOME. 


The  colour  of  the  Beetle  is  bright  polished-blue  above, 
sometimes  taking  a  deep-green  hue,  and  there  is  a  reddish 
patch  below  at  the  apex  of  the  body.  The  thorax  is  rather 
convex  and  thickly  punctured,  and  on  each  elytron  there  are 
ten  rows  of  striae,  the  intervals  between  them  being  very  finely 
wrinkled.     The  insect  is   common  in  some  localities,  but  in 


zznL 


1.  Prasocuris  beccabungse.  2.  Phyllotreta  brassicje.  3.  Psylliodes  hyoscyami.  4.  Cas- 
sida  viridis.  ■  S.  Triplax  russica.  a.  Phyllotreta,  larva.  6.  Cassida,  larva.  c.  Cassida 
pupa.        d.  Cassida,  maxillary  palpus.        e.  Cassida,  labial  palpi. 


others  seems  to  be  rather  scarce — its  rarity  or  plenty  depend- 
ing, in  all  probability,  on  the  presence  or  absence  of  the  herb 
on  which  it  generally  feeds.  There  are  five  British  species  of 
thi.s  eenus. 


Passing  by  the  family  of  the  Galerucid^,  we  come  to  the 
enormous  family  of  the   Halticidse,  the   members  of  which, 


THE  TURNIP-FLEA.  211 

though  individually  small  and  insignificant,  collectively  exer- 
cise very  great  influence  upon  the  agricultiire  of  our  country. 
One  of  these  insects  is  shown  on  Woodcut  XXIII.  Fig,  2,  and 
IS  one  of  several  Beetles  which  are  known  by  the  popular  name 
of  Turnip-Fleas  or  Hoppers.  It  is  called  scientifically  Phyllo- 
treta  (or  Haltica)  brassicce. 

All  the  Halticidse  can  be  distinguished  by  the  very  thick 
hinder  femora,  which  denote  the  possession  of  great  leaping 
powers  on  the  part  of  the  insect.  The  antennae  are  set  between 
the  eyes,  and  the  edges  of  the  elytra  are  wavy.  They  are 
attached  to  different  plants,  and  are  so  constant  to  them  that 
their  specific  names  are  often  taken  from  their  food-plant. 
The  colour  of  the  present  species  is  deep-black,  and  there  are 
two  longitudinal  yellow  streaks  upon  each  of  the  elytra,  one 
near  the  base,  and  the  other  towards  the  apex.  The  body  is 
egg-shaped,  and  the  elytra  are  rounded  at  their  tips.  It  is 
about  the  smallest  species  of  the  genus. 

The  true  Turnip-flea  is  another  species,  called  Phyllotreta 
nemorum,  the  colour  of  which  is  black,  with  a  broad  longitu- 
dinal yellow  streak  running  nearly,  but  not  quite,  to  the  end 
of  the  elytra.  Both  in  the  larval  and  perfect  stages  this  insect 
is  extremely  damaging  to  the  turnips,  feeding  upon  the  first 
tender  shoots  as  they  appear  above  the  ground,  and  so  destroy- 
ing the  whole  plant.  Sometimes  they  will  devastate  a  field  so 
completely,  that  it  must  be  re-sown  if  a  crop  be  wanted.  The 
early  life  of  this  Beetle  has  been  well  told  by  Mr.  Le  Keux,  in 
the  '  Transactions  of  the  Entomological  Society,'  vol.  ii.  After 
narrating  the  destruction  which  these  insects  had  wrought,  he 
proceeds  as  follows  : — 

'  Being  still  at  fault  as  to  the  origin  of  the  larvae,  I  captm-ed 
ten  males  and  ten  females  in  pairs,  and  enclosed  them  in  a 
glass  tube  covered  at  each  end  with  wire  gauze,  into  which  I 
introduced  a  single  leaf  of  tm-nip,  with  water  to  keep  it  fresh ; 
by  this  means  I  was  enabled  to  examine  the  insects  and  leaf 
on  all  sides  with  a  magnifying-glass  at  any  time  without  dis- 
turbing them.  Having,  previous  to  introducing  the  leaf, 
ascertained  with  a  strong  magnifier  that  there  were  no  eo-gs 
or  larvae  upon  it,  on  the  following  day  I  had  the  satisfaction 
to  perceive  five  small,  smooth,  oval-shaped  eggs  adhering  to 
the  under  side  of  the  leaf,  and  so  nearly  resembling  it  in 

p  2 


212  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

colour,  that  I  was  no  longer  surprised  that  they  should  hitherto 
have  escaped  my  observation. 

'  This  leaf  was  removed  with  the  eggs  upon  it,  and  placed 
in  water,  and  its  place  supplied  by  a  fresh  one,  which,  on  the 
following  day,  had  three  eggs  upon  it,  and  the  third  leaf  four 
eggs,  each  of  which  leaves  was  placed  separately  in'  water. 
The  fourth  leaf  I  suffered  to  remain  with  the  insects  t  week, 
supplying  it  with  fresh  water  daily,  and  at  the  end  of  that 
time  it  had  thirty-one  eggs  upon  it.  In  two  other  glass  tubes 
I  confined  single  pairs  of  insects,  with  a  leaf  in  each,  upon 
which  I  never  found  more  than  a  single  egg  deposited  on  the 
same  day,  and  in  those  leaves  taken  from  the  field  with  larvae 
in  them  (some  containing  six),  no  two  of  them  were  of  the 
same  growth. 

'  I  found  great  difiiculty  in  preserving  the  leaves  during 
the  length  of  time  necessary  for  the  hatching  of  the  eggs  ;  and 
as  it  would  have  been  impossible  to  have  preserved  them 
long  enough  for  the  feeding  of  the  larvae,  I  began  to  despair 
of  success,  until  I  observed  that,  in  those  leaves  taken  with 
larvae  in  them  from  the  field,  it  was  not  uncommon  for  the 
larva  to  leave  the  burrow  it  had  first  commenced,  and,  travel- 
ling (which  from  its  formation  I  had  supposed  it  incapable  of 
doing)  to  a  distant  part  of  the  leaf,  form  a  new  one.  About 
the  time,  therefore,  when  I  expected  the  eggs  to  hatch,  I  placed 
fresh  leaves  by  tlie  side  of  the  old  ones,  to  which  the  young 
larvae  soon  found  their  way,  and  lodged  themselves. 

'  The  egg  hatches  in  ten  days  from  the  time  it  is  laid,  and 
the  larva  immediately  begins  to  eat  its  way  into  the  leaf  and 
form  u  burrow  by  feeding  upon  the  pulp  between  the  upper 
and  under  surface  of  the  leaf,  which,  however,  is  not  easily 
perceptible  to  the  eye  unless  held  up  against  the  light,  al- 
though the  track  is  sufficiently  obvious  after  the  larva  has  left 
it  and  it  has  become  dry.  The  larva  is  full-fed  and  goes  into 
the  earth  at  the  end  of  sixteen  days,  burying  itself  about  an 
inch  and  a  half  below  the  surface,  and  in  such  a  situation  that 
the  turnip-leaf  above  may  afi"ord  shelter  in  case  of  rain.  I 
have  reason  to  believe  that  it  remains  in  the  earth  about  a 
fortnight  before  changing  into  the  perfect  Beetle.  Some  of 
the  first  specimens  of  larvae  and  pupae  which  I  took  in  the 
field  I  placed  in  finely  pulverised  and  very  dry  earth,  and  in  a 


TORTOISE  BEETLES.  213 

few  days  they  were  shrivelled  up.  The  others  I  also  put  into 
fine  earth,  and  saturated  it  with  water.  Unfortunately,  there 
was  no  opening  at  the  bottom  of  the  cup ;  and  the  next  day, 
perceiving  that  the  earth  was  still  saturated  with  water,  I 
drained  it  and  removed  the  larva,  but  they  were  all  dead.  This 
accident  may  serve  to  account  for  the  scarcity  of  the  insects 
after  very  wet  seasons.' 

The  result  of  this  and  other  experiments  is,  that  the  insects 
are  in  all  probability  attracted  to  their  food-plant  by  scent ; 
and,  as  they  have,  large  wings  which  they  can  use  well,  it  is 
impossible  to  keep  them  out  of  a  field  which  contains  their 
favourite  food.  Mr.  E.  Newman  suggests  that  all  weeds  should 
be  cut,  dried,  and  kept  in  heaps  until  the  Beetles  are  on  the 
wing,  when  they  should  be  placed  in  heaps  on  the  windward 
side  of  the  field  and  lighted,  so  that  the  smoke — strengthened 
with  a  little  sulphur — may  blow  over  the  ground  and  repel  the 
Beetles.  If  they  can  be  kept  off  for  a  time,  the  plant  gains 
strength,  and  then  the  Beetles  cannot  kill  it,  though  they 
may  seriously  damage  it. 

The  name  Phyllotreta  is  of  Greek  origin,  and  signifies  '  leaf- 
borer.'  There  are  more  than  a  hundred  British  species  of 
these  little  Beetles,  and  the  now  restricted  genus  PhyUoti^eta 
contains  thirteen  species.  The  larva  of  this  Beetle  is  shown 
on  Woodcut  XXIII.  Fig.  a. 

Am  OTHER  example  of  this  family  is  shown  on  Woodcut 
XXIII.  Fig.  3.  Its  name  is  Psylliodes  hyoscyami.  There  is 
a  curious  structure  in  the  antennae  of  the  insects  belonging  to 
this  genus — the  second  and  third  joints  being  so  fused  to- 
gether as  to  form  one  long  joint.  The  tibiae  of  the  hind  legs 
are  abruptly  sloped  at  the  end,  and  the  tarsi  are  set  on  the 
upper  edge  and  above  the  apex.  The  colour  of  this  Beetle  is 
green  above  and  black  below,  a  brassy  gloss  covering  the  whole 
of  the  surface.  The  large  hinder  femora  are  black,  and  the 
whole  of  the  upper  surface  is  thickly  punctured,  the  punctures 
being  arranged  in  striae  on  the  elytra.  It  is-  not  a  very  com- 
mon insect. 

We  now  pass  to  the  family  of  the  Cassidiidae,  commonly 
known  by   the   popular   and   appropriate   name   of  Tortoise 


214  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

Beetles.  There  is  no  possibility  of  mistaking  these  Beetles, 
which  are  flat-bodied,  rounded,  and  have  the  head  completely 
hidden  under  the  wide  thorax,  which  overlaps  the  base  of  the 
elytra.  As  the  insects  sit  upon  leaves,  the  whole  of  the  head 
and  limbs  are  completely  hidden  by  the  thorax  and  elytra,  just 
as  are  those  of  a  tortoise  by  its  shell.  Most  of  the  species  are 
green,  though  some  of  them  are  adorned  with  spots  and  stripes 
of  red  and  gold.  All  these  colours  are  exceedingly  fugitive, 
and  vanish  soon  after  the  death  of  the  insect.  Glycerine 
has  been  tried  with  some  of  these  insects,  as  mentioned  on 
page  206. 

A  very  common  species,  Cassida  viridis,  is  shown  on  Wood- 
cut XXIII.  Fig.  4.  It  is  of  a  rather  dull-green  colour,  the 
base  of  the  elytra  taking  a  slightly  reddish  hue.  It  may  be 
found  plentifully  on  thistles. 

At  Fig.  b  of  the  same  illustration  is  shown  the  extraordinary 
larva  of  the  Tortoise  Beetle.  It  is  very  flat,  and  has  the  sides 
covered  with  flattened  spines.  But  the  most  curious  portion 
of  its  structure  is  the  forked  apparatus  that  proceeds  from  its 
tail  and  passes  over  its  back.  This  fork  serves  a  very  curious 
purpose.  Like  the  larva  of  Crioceris  merdigera,  which  has 
been  described  on  p.  206,  this  creature  is  sheltered  by  a  sort  of 
umbrella  formed  of  the  same  materials  as  those  of  Crioceris. 
But,  instead  of  lying  directly  on  the  back,  the  umbrella  is 
supported  on  the  fork  at  some  little  distance  from  the  body, 
and,  when  it  becomes  too  weighty,  it  can  be  shaken  off  and  a 
new  one  gradually  produced.  The  pupa  is  scarcely  less  curious 
in  appearance,  and  is  drawn  at  Fig.  c.  Woodcut  XXIII.  The 
maxilla  of  the  perfect  insect  is   shown  at    d,  and  the  labium 

at  e. 

There  is  only  one  British  genus  of  this  family,  and  it  con- 
tains about  thirteen  species.  One  of  the  variegated  species  is 
shown  on  Plate  VI.  Fig.  11.  Its  name  is  Cassida  murroea,  and 
its  colour  is  sometimes  red  and  sometimes  green,  blotched  with 
black  near  the  suture  and  spotted  with  the  same  colour  on  the 
disc. 


CHAPTER   XIV. 
PSEUDOTBIMERA. 

We  now  come  to  the  last  section  of  the  Beetles,  the  Pseudo- 
TRIMERA.  This  name  is  compounded  of  three  Greek  words, 
signifying  '  false  three-joints,'  and  is  given  to  the  insects  on 
account  of  the  structure  of  their  tarsi,  which  appear  to  have 
only  three  joints,  though  in  reality  they  have  four  joints  ;  the 
missing  joint,  which  is  the  third,  being  very  minute,  and 
hidden  within  the  doubly-lobed  second  joint.  This  structure 
can  be  seen  by  reference  to  Woodcut  XXIV.  Fig.  e,  which 
represents  the  leg  of  a  Lady-bird. 

The  first  family  of  these  Beetles,  the  Erotylidse,  can  be  dis- 
tinguished by  the  bold  three-jointed  club  of  the  antennae,  and 
the  large  flattened  club-shaped  last  joint  of  the  maxillary 
palpi.  One  example  of  this  family  is  THplax  russica,  which 
is  represented  on  Woodcut  XXIII.  Fig.  5.  In  this  genus  the 
body  is  oblong  and  the  antennae  rather  stout,  and  the  club  has 
the  last  joint  blunt  and  egg-shaped,  and  the  other  two  joints 
transverse.  The  generic  name,  Triplax,  is  formed  from  two 
Greek  words,  signifying  'three-plated,'  and  is  given  to  this 
genus  on  account  of  this  structm-e  of  the  club. 

The  present  species  is  the  largest  of  the  genus,  although  it 
never  exceeds  a  quarter  of  an  inch  in  length.  The  head  and 
thorax  of  this  insect  are  red,  and  the  elytra  are  deep  blue- 
black.  The  abdomen  is  reddish,  and  the  whole  surface  is 
shining.  All  the  species  of  this  genus  live  in  fungi ;  and  in  such 
localities  may  be  found  this  insect,  which  is  not  very  common, 
but  is  more  plentiful  than  seems  to  be  the  case  on  account  of 
its  way  of  hiding  itself  within  the  fungi.  There  is  another 
genus  belonging  to  this  family,  called  Engis,  the  members  of 
which  are  found  in  similar  localities.  They  are  pretty  little 
beings — shining,  rather  convex,  and  elongated,  and  usually  dark- 


216 


INSECTS  AT  HOME. 


brown  with  yellow  thorax  and  shoulders.  The  peculiar  three- 
jointed  club  of  the  family  will  at  once  distinguish  them.  The 
genus  Trvplax  contains  five  English  species. 

The  next  family,  the  Coccinellidoe,  is  composed  of  insects 
which  are  very  familiar  to  us  under  the  popular  name  of  Lady- 


1.  Coccinella  ocellata.  2.  Lycoperdina  bovistae.  3.  Trlchopteryx  atomaria.  4.  Pselaphus 
Heisei.  5.  Claviger  foveolatus.  a.  Coccinella,  larva.  6.  Coccinella,  maxillary  palpus, 
c.  Coccinella,  labium.        d.  Coccinella,  antenna.        e.  Coccinella,  leg. 


birds  or  Lady-cows — the  former  being  the  more  common  as  well 
as  the  more  poetical  name.  These  insects  are  all  flat  below 
and  convex  above,  the  body  is  rounded  and  the  antennae  are 
short.  The  structure  of  the  various  parts  of  this  genus  is 
shown  on  Woodcut  XXIV.,  the  antenna  being  represented  at 
cZ,  the  maxilla  and  its  palpUs  at  6,  the  labium  at  c,  and  the  leg, 
with  the  tiny  third  joint  of.  the  tarsus,  at  e.     The   typical 


LADY-BIRDS.  217 

genus,  Coccinella,  lias  the  hinder  angles  of  the  thorax  acute. 
Many  species  of  these  pretty  insects  inhabit  England,  but  some 
of  the  species  are  so  exceedingly  variable  in  point  of  colour, 
that  the  varieties  have  been  described  as  actual  species  by 
practised  entomologists.  It  is  common  enough  to  find  a  blue 
insect  running  into  shades  of  green,  and  vice  versa ;  but  in 
some  of  these  Lady-birds,  the  same  species  will  be  red  spotted 
with  black,  black  spotted  or  blotched  with  red,  black  spotted 
with  yellow,  yellow  spotted  and  barred  or  blotched  with  black, 
and  so  on  in  infinite  variety. 

We  will  now  briefly  describe  two  species,  one  a  rarity  and 
the  other  a  very  common  one,  and  then  proceed  to  the  habits 
of^the  insect.  On  Woodcut  XXIV.  Fig.  1,  is  represented  a 
very  beautiful  insect,  which  we  may  call  the  Eyed  Lady-bird 
{Coccinella  ocellata).  The  head  and  thorax  of  this  species  are 
black,  and  on  the  latter  are  two  yellow  spots  at  the  base  and  a 
patch  of  the  same  colour  at  each  side.  The  elytra  are  red, 
and  upon  each  elytron  are  nine  black  spots,  more  or  less  oval, 
each  of  them  surrounded  with  a  ring  of  yellow,  giving  them 
the  '  eyed '  appearance  which  is  expressed  by  the  specific 
name  ocellata.  There  is  also  a  black,  yellow-edged  streak 
over  the  apex  of  the  elytra.  Several  varieties  of  colouring 
are  known.  This  insect  has  been  found  upon  the  pine,  the  fir, 
and  the  beech. 

On  Plate  VI.  Fig.  12,  is  drawn  the  common  Seven-spot 
Lady-bird  [Coccinella  septempunctata),  a  species  that  derives 
its  name  from  the  seven  black  spots  upon  the  elytra.  These 
spots  are  exceedingly  variable  in  size,  and  sometimes  one  or 
two  spots  are  absent,  while  there  is  one  variety  in  which  there 
are  no  spots  at  all.  It  is  represented  in  flight,  in  order  to 
show  the  large  size  of  its  wings. 

Beautiful  as  are  the  Lady-birds,  it  is  not  for  their  beauty 
alone  that  they  are  valued,  inasmuch  as  they  are  among  the 
greatest  benefactors  of  civilised  man,  and  preserve  many  a 
harvest  which,  but  for  their  aid,  would  be  hopelessly  lost.  For, 
in  their  larval  state  they  feed  upon  the  aphides — the  '  green 
blight '  or  '  green-fly  '  of  gardeners — and,  being  exceedingly 
voracious,  devour  vast  numbers  of  those  destructive  insects. 
Few  persons  would  suppose,  on  looking  at  the  Coccinella  larva, 
what  was  its  real  condition  of  life.     It  looks  as  harmless,  dull, 


218  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

sluggish  a  creature  as  can  be  imagined,  and  much  more  likely 
to  be  eaten  itself  than  to  eat  other  insects.  Yet,  with  all 
this  innocence  of  aspect,  it  is  so  ruthless  a  destroyer  of  animal 
life,  that  if  a  few  of  them  be  placed  on  a  bush  or  plant  whicli 
is  infested  with  aphides,  in  a  day  or  two  not  an  aphis  will 
be  left. 

Especially  is  the  Lady-bird  useful  in  those  parts  of  the  country 
where  hops  are  grown.  There  is  an  aphis  which  feeds  specially 
upon  this  plant,  and  which  has  been  known  to  destroy  whole 
plantations  in  a  single  season,  causing  the  greatest  distress 
among  the  multitudes  whose  living  depends  more  or  less  directly 
upon  the  hop.  Fortunately,  the  Lady-bird — usually  the  little 
Two-Spot  Lady-bird  {Goccinella  bipunctata) — comes  to  the 
rescue,  and  follows  the  aphides  wherever  they  are  most  plenti- 
ful. The  mother  insect  lays  her  eggs  in  packets  among  the 
aphides,  and,  as  soon  as  the  young  larvse  are  able  to  move 
about,  they  begin  to  feed  upon  the  insects  near  where  they 
have  been  placed. 

In  some  seasons  the  swarms  of  Lady-birds  almost  exceed 
belief.  I  have  seen  the  streets  absolutely  red  with  them,  and 
the  houses  covered  with  their  multitudes,  while  within  doors  a 
thick  band  of  Lady-birds  ran  along  the  angle  of  the  walls 
and  ceiling  like  a  red  cable,  large  bunches  hanging  in  each 
corner.  These  insects  very  well  illustrated  the  adage  that 
'  dirt  is  only  matter  in  the  wrong  place.'  Nothing  could  be 
more  beneficial  than  their  presence  in  the  locality,  as  it  was 
situated  in  the  very  midst  of  hop  gardens,  and  by  their  means 
the  year's  harvest  was  saved  from  destruction.  But,  though 
they  were  very  much  wanted  out  of  doors,  they  were  not  at  all 
wanted  inside  the  house,  especially  as  Lady-birds  have  a  very 
unpleasant  odour,  which,  when  multiplied  by  tens  of  thousands, 
becomes  almost  unbearable.  Even  after  the  rooms  had  been 
cleared,  they  were  almost  uninhabitable,  and  the  more  so  that 
it  was  impossible  to  keep  the  windows  open,  because  the  Lady- 
birds flocked  into  the  room  in  swarms,  and  would  soon  have 
replaced^ those  which  had  been  ejected.  Even  throughout  the 
winter  many  of  them  retained  their  positions,  having  been 
kept  alive  by  the  warmth  of  the  fire. 

When  the  larva  is  full-fed,  it  attaches  itself  to  a  twig  or  leaf 
by  the  end  of  its  tail,  and  thus  hangs  with  its  head  downwards. 


A  CUEE  FOR  THE  TOOTHACHE.  219 

Presently,  the  larval  skin  splits  down  the  back,  but  the  pupa 
does  not  emerge,  remaining  within  the  larval  skin  until  it  has 
changed  into  its  perfect  form.  It  has  been  mentioned  that 
the  Lady-birds  give  out  a  very  unpleasant  odour.  This  is  caused 
by  a  yellowish  liquid  which  issues  from  the  joints  of  the  limbs, 
as  has  been  described  in  connection  with  the  Oil  Beetle,  on 
page  1 54,  and  which  has  a  very  powerful  and  disagreeable  scent. 
In  some  parts  of  the  country  this  liquid  is  considered  to  be  a 
cure  for  toothache,  the  finger  being  first  rubbed  against  the 
legs  of  the  Lady-bird,  and  then  on  the  offending  tooth.  In  its 
larval  state  it  emits  a  similar  liquid  from  the  tubercles  upon 
its  body. 

It  is  rather  remarkable  that  the  popular  names  of  Lady-bird 
and  Lady-cow  are  not  peculiar  to  England.  In  France,  for 
example,  the  insect  is  called  Bete  de  la  Vierge,  or  Vache  a 
Dieu.  The  children,  however,  do  not  respect  the  insect  in  con- 
sequence of  its  popular  names,  but,  on  the  contrary,  when  they 
catch  one,  look  upon  it  as  a  means  of  showing  their  ingenuity 
in  prolonging  torture  without  destroying  life. 

The  next  family,  that  of  the  Endomychidse,  is  represented 
by  one  species,  Lycoperdina  bovistoe,  which  is  shown  on  Wood- 
cut XXIV.  Fig.  2. 

In  this  family  the  antennae  are  tolerably  long,  the  thorax  is 
impressed  behind,  and  the  last  joint  of  the  maxillary  palpus  is 
never  hatchet-shaped.  In  the  genus  Lycoperdina  the  thorax  is 
heart-shaped,  and  abruptly  cut  off  at  the  base,  and  there  is  no 
distinct  club  to  the  antennae.  The  present  species  is  an  odd, 
black,  flat  insect,  which  has  been  very  happily  compared  to  a 
Blaps  in  miniature.  It  is  to  be  found  inside  the  well-known 
puff-ball  {Lycoperdon  bovistce),  from  which  it  derives  its 
generic  name,  and  makes  its  exit  by  the  aperture  which  exists  at 
the  top  of  the  fungus,  and  through  which  the  spores  escape  like 
clouds  of  smoke.  It  is  not  at  all  a  common  insect,  and  a  vast 
number  of  puff-balls  may  be  examined  without  a  single  speci- 
men of  the  Beetle  being  found.  But,  like  many  other  rare 
insects,  when  one  specimen  is  found,  plenty  more  are  generally 
to  be  seen,  and  though  five  hundred  of  the  fungi  may  have  been 
examined  without  success,  the  five  hundred  and  first  may  con- 
tain enough  Beetles  to  stock  a  dozen  cabinets. 


220  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

The  wide  and  deeply  fringed  maxilla  is  worthy  of  notice. 
This  is  the  only  English  species  of  the  genus,  the  second  sup- 
posed species  being  nothing  more  than  a  variety. 

The  family  of  the  Trichopteridae  contains  a  good  many 
species,  of  which  we  select  one  as  our  example.  This  is  Tri- 
chopteryx  atomaria,  which  is  represented  on  Woodcut  XXIV. 
Fig.  3. 

These  are  all  little  Beetles,  and,  indeed,  are  the  tiniest  of  the 
British  Coleoptera.  Small  as  they  are,  they  can  be  easily 
recognised  when  examined  by  the  aid  of  a  lens,  so  bold  are 
the  characteristics  which  mark  them.  The  antennse  are  long, 
slender,  and  beset  with  long  hairs,  and  having  a  bold  three- 
jointed  club.  The  wings  are  very  long  and  narrow,  and  fringed 
with  hairs,  a  peculiarity  which  has  gained  for  them  the  name 
of  Trichopteryx,  or  '  hairy  wings.'  Sometimes  the  wings  are 
undeveloped,  but  when  they  are  present  they  are  always  fringed 
with  hair.  There  are  other  characteristics  of  the  family,  but 
these  are  sufficient  for  the  recognition  of  any  insect  that  belongs 
to  it. 

In  the  typical  genus,  Trichopteryx,  the  antennae  are  about 
half  as  long  as  the  body,  the  head  is  convex,  large  and  trian- 
gular, and  the  wings  are  fui^nished  at  their  tips  with  several 
bundles  of  hairs.  The  present  species  is  one  of  the  largest  of 
the  family,  and  yet  it  is  only  one  twenty-fourth  of  an  inch  in 
length.  Small  as  it  is,  by  the  side  of  other  species  of  the 
same  genus  it  is  only  a  giant,  most  being  the  thirty-sixth  part  of 
an  inch  in  length,  while  there  are  some  which  are  barely  one- 
hundredth  of  an  inch  long.  Some  notion  of  the  size  of  these 
tiny  creatures  may  be  obtained  by  looking  at  the  little  line  on 
the  right  hand  of  Fig.  3,  and  reflecting  that  they  measure  just 
one  quarter  of  that  length. 

The  little  insect  which  has  been  chosen  as  our  example  of 
these  '  micro-coleoptera,'  as  the  tiny  Beetles  are  called,  is  tole- 
rably common,  and  can  be  found  under  heaps  of  decaying 
leaf-mould  and  similar  localities.  Though  the  finder  may  not 
be  able  to  recognise  the  precise  species  when  he  discovers  it, 
he  can  at  all  events  see  that  it  is  a  Beetle,  whereas,  when  he 
finds  the  exceedingly  minute  creatures  which  have  just  been 
mentioned,  it  is  impossible  for  him  to  know,  without  the  aid 


THE  BLIND  BEETLE.  221 

of  a  lens,  that  the  little  black  speck  is  even  an  insect,  much 
less  whether  it  be  a  Beetle  or  not.  The  best  mode  of  capturing 
these  Beetles  is  to  take  some  leaf-mould  from  under  a  heap, 
scatter  it  thinly  on  a  sheet  of  white  paper,  and  then  go  over 
it  carefully  with  a  tolerably  powerful  lens. 

Owing  to  the  very  minute  dimensions  of  these  Beetles,  the 
exact  definition  of  the  species  is  a  very  difficult  business,  but 
it  is  estimated  that  twelve  species  are  known  in  this  country. 

Passing  by  one  family  of  this  section,  we  come  to  the 
Pselaphidse,  of  which  remarkable  family  two  examples  will  be 
given,  each  illustrating  one  of  the  sub-families. 

In  these  Beetles  the  elytra  are  very  short,  so  short,  indeed, 
that  for  many  years  these  insects  were  classed  among  the 
Brachelytra.  The  club  of  the  antennge  is  bold  and  well-defined, 
the  last  joint  being  very  large.  The  head  is  narrowed  behind 
into  a  distinct  neck. 

The  first  sub-family  is  called  the  Pselaphinse,  and  in  them 
the  antennae  have  eleven  joints,  and  the  eyes  and  parts  of  the 
mouth  are  well  developed.  The  genus  Pselaphus,  of  which 
there  are  only  two  British  species,  has  the  antennae,  palpi  and 
legs  very  long.  The  commonest  species,  Pselaphus  Heisei, 
which  is  represented  on  Woodcut  XXIV.  Fig.  4,  is  shining 
yellow-brown,  has  its  body  very  flat  and  wide,  and  on  each  side 
of  the  suture  of  the  elytra  there  is  a  stria  which  runs  frorii'  the 
base  to  the  tip.  It  can  be  shaken  out  of  moss,  as  can  its  con- 
gener, Pselaphus  Dresdenensis,  which  may  be  distinguished 
by  its  dark  colour  and  a  semicircular  impression  at  the  base  of 
the  thorax. 

The  last  example  of  the  British  Beetles  is,  perhaps,  the 
strangest  of  all  our  native  insects,  and  how  it  can  find  any 
gratification  in  existence  is  not  easy  to  see.  We  think  that 
the  life  of  a  deaf  and  dumb  man  is  a  hard  one,  shut  out  as  he 
is  from  free  intercourse  with  his  fellow  creatures,  and  incapable 
of  enjoying,  or  even  of  comprehending,  the  common  blessings 
of  sight  and  hearing.  Yet  he  is  capable  of  one  kind  of 
animal  enjoyment,  for  he  can  eat,  and  indeed  upon  this  capa- 
bility is  based  the  course  of  instruction  by  which  such  afflicted 
persons  have  been  rescued  from  their  wretched  isolation,  and 


222  INSECTS  AT  HOME, 

taught  to  interchange  ideas  with  their  fellow  men.  But,  sup- 
posing that  a  man  who  was  incapable  of  sight  or  hearing  were 
also  found  without  a  mouth,  and  yet  possessing  the  power  of 
living  without  food,  we  should  think  that  such  a  being  must 
have  reached  the  very  abyss  of  misery — a  misery  beyond  all 
power  of  alleviation. 

Yet  in  the  Beetle  which  is  shown  on  Woodcut  XXIV.  Fig.  5, 
we  see  an  insect  in  which  these  imaginary  privations  are  the 
normal  state,  and  which  possesses  neither  eyes  nor  mouth,  and 
is  capable  of  supporting  existence  without  food.  We  should, 
however,  be  very  wrong  in  supposing  that  this  insect  must  be 
miserable  because  a  human  being  rmder  such  conditions  would 
be  supremely  wretched,  and  may  be  sure  that,  in  some  myste- 
rious way,  this  Beetle,  which  leads  a  darkling  life  and  is  incapable 
of  eating,  is  just  as  happy  in  its  way  as  the  brilliant  butterfly 
that  basks  in  the  sunshine,  and  flits  from  flower  to  flower,  en- 
joying their  lovely  colours  and  sweet  juices. 

Whether  the  insect  be  possessed  of  some  senses  unknown  to 
us,  must  of  necessity  be  a  problem  not  likely  to  be  solved,  but, 
as  far  as  we  can  judge,  the  only  sense  which  it  can  possess  is 
that  of  touch.  The  name  Pselaphidse  refers  to  this  supposition, 
and  is  formed  from  a  Grreek  word,  signifying  the  groping  move- 
ments of  one  who  tries  to  find  his  way  in  the  dark. 

The  name  of  this  Beetle  is  Claviger  foveolatus,  the  former 
name  signifying  'club-bearer,'  and  given  to  the  insect  on 
account  of  the  form  of  the  antenna,  which  is  boldly  clubbed, 
and  has  only  five  joints.  This  Beetle  can  be  found  in  the  nests 
of  the  yellow  ant  [Formica  fiava),  a  very  common  insect,  which 
makes  its  nests  under  large  stones  if  it  can  find  them,  or,  in 
default  of  such  shelter,  throws  up  little  mounds  of  earth.  It 
can  be  found  plentifully  on  heaths  and  hilly  districts.  The 
colour  of  the  insect  is  yellow,  like  that  of  the  ant  with  which 
it  lives,  and  it  has  no  wings.  The  name  foveolatus  is  given 
to  it  on  account  of  the  deep  fovea,  or  hollow,  in  the  middle  of 
the  abdomen. 


DEEMAPTEEA. 


DEEMAPTEKA. 


CHAPTER   I. 

These  insects,  popularly  known  as  Earwig?,  are  remarkatle  for 
many  reasons.  None  of  them  are  large,  and  some  are  very  small. 
There  are  but  few  species,  and  most  of  the  British  species 
are  very  common — in  fact,  much  too  common  as  far  as  flower- 
gardens  are  concerned.  Yet,  though  they  are  small,  few,  and 
common,  they  have  been  the  occasion  of  more  disputes  among 
entomologists  than  all  the  other  insects  put  together.  Some 
asserted  that  they  were  an  '  aberrant '  branch  of  the  Brachelytra 
and  allied  to  the  common  Eove  Beetles,  while  others  as  strenu- 
ously asserted  that  they  belonged  by  right  to  the  Orthoptera, 
and  were  allied,  though  distantly,  to  the  Cockroach.  The  use 
to  which  they  put  the  forceps  with  which  their  tails  are  armed 
furnished  another  fertile  source  of  dispute,  while  even  their 
popular  English  name  was  cause  for  abundant  quarrel — one 
party  considering  the  name  to  be  properly  Eanuig,  in  allusion 
to  the  popular  idea  that  they  were  in  the  habit  of  crawling 
into  human  ears  ;  and  the  other  spelling  the  word  'Eanvinrj,  be- 
cause the  spread  wing  of  the  insect  is  shaped  like  a  human  ear. 

We  will  take  each  of  these  disputed  points  in  succession, 
and  begin  with  the  first — namely,  the  position  which  they  ought 
to  occupy  in  the  world  of  insects. 

It  is  satisfactorily  ascertained  that  they  cannot  be  Beetles,  if 
only  for  the  one  fact,  that  in  the  pupal  state  they  are  not  in- 
active, but  resemble  in  every  respect  the  perfect  insect,  except 
that  the  wings  are  rudimentary.  The  elytra,  instead  of  being 
horny,  are  soft  and  leathery,  very  small,  without  veins ;  and 
nearly,  but  not  quite,  cover  the  wings,  the  leathery  hinge  of 
which  projects  just  beyond  them  when^  folded.     This  hinge 


226 


INSECTS  AT  HOME. 


is  a  most  important  part  of  the  wing,  and  will  be  presently 
described  more  fully.  The  name  Dermaptera  is  formed  from 
two  Greek  words,  signifying  '  skin-winged,'  and  is  given  to  these 
insects  on  account  of  the  structure  of  the  elytra. 

As  the  wings  form  one  of  the  most  important  characteristics 
in  these  insects,  we  will  proceed  to  describe  them.     Very  few 


XXV 


1.  Pachytylns  migratorius.  2.  Thamnotrizon  cinereiis.  a.  Forceps  of  Forficula  gigantea, 
male.  fi.  Do.  female.  c.  Do.  Fcrficula  anriciilaria,  male.  d.  Do.  female.  e.  Blatta 
orientalis,  egg-case.  /.  Do.  section.  (/.  Gryllotalpa,  inside  of  front  tibia.  h.  Do.  outside, 
i.  Do.  labium,   j.  Do.  maxilla  and  palpus. 


persons  have  the  least  idea  that  the  Earwig  is  furnished  with 
wings  of  remarkable  size  and  beauty,  and  that,  although  it  is 
possessed  of  much  speed  in  running  it  is  quite  as  active  in  the 
air  as  on  foot.  On  Plate  VII.  Fig.  2,  the  Com:mon  Earwig  {For- 
ficula  auricularia)  is  shown,  as  it  appears  with  its  beautiful 
wings  extended. 


WINGS  OF  THE  EARWIG.  227 

To  display  these  wings  properly  is  a  business  of  exceeding 
diflficulty,  and  demands  the  greatest  patience  as  well  as  skill. 
They  have  to  be  coaxed  from  under  the  tiny  elytra  with  infinite 
care,  and  their  delicate  folds  spread  one  by  one  lest  they  should 
be  torn.  I  have  found  that  a  glass  tube,  drawn  to  a  rather  fine 
point,  is  exceedingly  useful,  for  the  wings  can  often  be  blown 
open  by  a  current  of  air  directed  upon  them,  when  the  use  of 
a  needle  would  be  nearly  certain  to  damage  them.  Even  when 
they  are  at  last  '  teased '  out,  it  is  no  easy  matter  to  spread 
them  flat  and  keep  them  so  while  the  card  braces  are  being 
pressed  on  them,  inasmuch  as  the  membrane,  though  delicate, 
is  very  elastic,  and  has  a  tendency  to  contract  and  crumple  up  the 
whole  wing  into  folds,  just  as  it  has  been  nicely  and  satisfactorily 
flattened.  If  any  of  my  readers  should  be  afflicted  with  hasty 
tempers  and  wish  to  put  themselves- through  a  course  of  disci- 
pline, I  can  strongly  recommend  them  to  take  a  few  Earwigs 
and  set  them  with  expanded  wings,  taking  care  to  make  both 
wings  look  alike.  When  they  have  succeeded  in  doing  so 
without  losing  temper  they  may  be  perfectly  easy  as  to  their 
ability  in  conc^uering  their  infirmity. 

The  mode  in  whicli  these  large  and  delicate  wings  are  packed 
into  so  small  a  compass  is  singularly  beautiful.  The  front 
margin  of  the  wing,  from  the  base  to  a  spot  about  half-way 
along  it,  is  rather  hard  and  firm,  and  at  that  point  is  a  broad 
leathery  patch  which  acts  as  a  hinge.  From  this  point  the 
folds  of  the  wing  radiate  just  like  those  of  an  open  fan ; 
and,  at  half  their  length,  the  edge  of  each  of  these  folds  is 
strengthened  by  a  small  patch  of  similar  leathery  material. 

When  the  wing  is  to  be  gathered  together  under  its  elytron, 
the  radiating  folds  are  closed  exactly  like  the  bars  of  a  fan, 
and  the  closed  folds  are  then  doubled  twice,  once  at  the  small 
and  once  at  the  large  hinge.  If  we  suppose  each  of  the  bars  of 
a  fan  to  have  two  hinges,  so  as  to  divide  it  into  three  equal  parts, 
we  can  understand  that  it  could  be  folded  into  a  very  small  com- 
pass, first  by  closing  the  fan  longitudinally,  and  then  doubling- 
it  twice  crosswise.  In  consequence  of  this  beautiful  piece  of 
mechanism  Mr.  Westwood  proposed  the  name  Euplexoptera 
for  the  Earwigs,  the  name  being  of  Grreek  origin,  and  signifying 
beautifully-folded  wings. 

I  have  mentioned  that  it  is  a  very  difficult  task  to  get  the 

q2 


228  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

wings  expanded.  It  is  all  but  impossible  to  put  them  back 
again  under  the  elytra.  How,  then,  can  the  insect  manage  to 
replace  them  ?  This  question  involves  the  real  use  of  the  for- 
ceps at  the  end  of  the  tail.  They  are  generally  considered  as 
instruments  of  offence,  and  as  such  they  can  be  used,  being 
capable  of  inflicting  a  tolerably  sharp  pinch,  as  anyone  can 
testify  who  has  handled  an  Earwig.  This,  however,  is  not  their 
primary  use,  for  they  are  employed  in  the  act  of  packing  the 
wings  under  the  elytra,  and  without  their  aid  the  insect  could 
never  secure  its  wings  properly.  I  have  more  than  once  seen 
an  Earwig  pack  up  its  wings,  and  a  very  curious  and  interesting 
sight  it  is. 

As  soon  as  the  insect  settles,  it  partially  folds  its  wings,  so 
that  they  fall  into  a  set  of  wrinkles,  apparently  without  any 
arrangement,  but  in  reality — like  the  seeming  confusion  of 
ropes  on  board  ship — each  being  exactly  in  its  appointed  place, 
and  ready  for  tlie  next  movement.  After  a  very  brief  pause, 
the  folds  of  the  wings  are  brought  still  closer  together,  and 
gathered  towards  the  elytra ;  and  then  the  tail  is  bent  over 
the  back,  the  wings  are  seized  by  the  forceps,  and  by  their  aid 
are  tucked  away  under  the  elytra. 

It  is  said  that  the  insect  also  makes  use  of  the  forceps  in 
expanding  tlie  ^vings  as  well  as  in  closing  them.  This  may  be 
the  case,  but  I  have  never  seen  an  Earwig  use  its  forceps  ex- 
cept for  the  latter  office,  the  mere  beat  of  the  wings  against  the 
air  seeming  to  have  the  power  of  spreading  them  to  their  full 
extent.  In  each  case  the  species  was  the  Little  Earwig  (Labia 
TTiinw),  and  indeed  I  never  did  see  the  Common  Earwig  use 
its  wings. 

.  These  insects  are  remarkable  in  many  respects,  and  one 
species — whatever  may  be  the  case  with  the  others — has  been 
ascertained  to  behave  very  differently  from  the  generality  of 
the  insect-race.  As  a  rule  insects  take  no  care  of  their  young. 
They  deposit  their  eggs  in  some  spot  where  the  young  larva 
can  find  its  food  when  hatched,  and  then  take  no  further  care 
of  them.  Indeed,  the  greater  number  of  insects  die  as  soon  as 
they  have  deposited  their  eggs,  so  that  maternal  care  is  im- 
possible. It  may  be  iu"ged  that  bees,  wasps,,  and  ants  take  care 
of  their  young.  This,  however,  is  not  the  case.  Care  is  cer- 
tainly taken  of  the  young  larvse,  but  not  by  the  mother,  who 


PLATE  VII. 
EARWIGS,     FIELD-COCKROACH,     AND     CRICKETS. 


1.  Forficula  gigantea. 

2.  Forficula  auricularia. 

3.  Blatta  germanica. 

4.  Blatta  germanica  (egg-case). 

5.  Gryllotalpa  vulgaris. 

6.  Gryllus  campestris. 

Plants  : — 

Great  Bindweed  (^Convolvulus  septum).     Above. 
Purple  Clover  {Trifolium pratense).    Right  of  Middle. 


THE  EARWIG   AND   ITS  YOUNG.  229 

does  nothing  but  deposit  the  eggs,  and  then  leaves  to  the 
workers  the  task  of  feeding  and  nurturing  the  helpless 
young. 

But,  according  to  the  observations  of  De  Geer,  the  Earwig 
forms  an  honourable  exception  to  this  rule,  and  watches  as 
carefully  over  the  young  as  a  hen  does  over  her  chickens.  She 
deposits  the  eggs  in  some  spot  which  is  at  the  same  time 
damp  and  moist,  and  if  one  of  these  conditions  should  fail 
shifts  the  eggs  to  another  place.  The  same  observer  noticed 
that  even  after  the  eggs  have  been  intentionally  displaced  the 
mother  insect  will  collect  and  replace  them.  These  curious 
statements  have  been  corroborated  by  Mr.  Spence,  who  writes 
as  follows  :  '  This  remarkable  fact  I  have  myself  witnessed, 
having  found  an  Earwig  under  a  stone,  which  I  accidentally 
turned  over,  sitting  upon  a  cluster  of  young  ones,  just  as  this 
celebrated  naturalist  has  described.' 

The  larvae  very  much  resemble  in  form  the  perfect  insect, 
except  that  they  have  no  wings,  and  the  forceps  are  not  well 
developed,  the  prongs  being  neariy  straight  and  not  possess- 
ing the  bold  curve  which  is  seen  in  the  perfect  insect.  In  the 
pupal  state  the  wing-cases  make  their  appearance  in  a  rudi- 
mentary form,  but  the  wings  are  not  developed  until  the  insect 
has  passed  through  its  final  change.  Moreover,  in  the  imper- 
fect stages  of  life  the  Earwig  has  much  fewer  joints  in  the 
antennae — the  perfect  insect  of  the  common  species  having 
fourteen  and  the  larva  only  eight. 

Interesting  as  is  the  Earwig  to  the  naturalist,  it  is  specially 
hateful  to  the  gardener.  It  has  a  very  disagreeable  habit  of 
feeding  on  the  petals  of  flowers,  nibbling  their  edges  and 
making  them  unsightly.  The  dahlia  and  the  carnation  are 
favourite  flowers  with  the  Earwig,  and  as  a  true  and  perfect 
edge  forms  one  of  the  chief  points  in  these  flowers  the  gar- 
dener has  good  reason  to  hate  the  insect.  As,  moreover,  the 
Earwigs  as  a  rule  feed  by  night  it  is  no  easy  matter  to  guard 
the  flowers  from  their  depredations. 

Disliking  the  light,  Earwigs  hide  themselves  by  day  in  any 
dark  cranny  that  they  can  find ;  and,  by  taking  advantage  of 
this  habit,  their  numbers  can  be  sensibly  diminished,  though 
they  cannot  be  altogether  extirpated.  For  this  purpose,  gar- 
deners are  in  the  habit  of  putting  inverted  flower-pots,  lobster- 


230  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

claws,  and  similar  objects,  on  the  tops  of  the  sticks  to  which 
the  plants  are  tied,  so  that  the  Earwigs  may  crawl  into  them  at 
night  and  be  captured  in  the  morning.  There  is,  however, 
a  neater  and  more  effective  mode  of  catching  these  insects. 

Instead  of  capping  the  tops  of  the  sticks  with  such  unsightly 
objects  as  lobster-claws  and  flower-pots,  let  a  number  of  tubes 
be  made,  about  three  or  four  inches  in  length  and  half  an  inch 
or  less  in  diameter.  These  may  be  made  from  elder  branches, 
from  wild  hemlock  stems,  or  even  from  brown  paper.  One  end 
must  be  plugged  up,  and  the  tube  is  then  hung  to  the  stick 
with  the  open  end  downwards.  In  the  morning,  the  tubes 
should  be  gently  lifted  from  the  sticks  to  which  they  are  sus- 
pended, the  plug  removed,  and  the  Earwigs  blown  into  a  con- 
venient vessel,  from  which  they  can  be  thrown  into  boiling 
water.  The  plug  is  then  replaced,  and  the  tube  allowed  to 
hang  in  its  former  place. 

These  insects  are  able  to  devour  both  animal  and  vegetable 
food,  though  they  seem  to  prefer  the  latter.  They  are  said  to 
enter  the  nests  of  certain  solitary  bees  and  to  feed  upon  the 
larvae  ;  and  De  Geer  remarked  that  the  young  Earwigs  wliich 
he  watched  not  only  ate  the  bodies  of  their  brethren  who  died, 
but  ill  repaid  the  watchful  care  of  their  mother  by  devouring 
her  dead  body. 

Only  a  few  species  of  Earwig  are  known  in  this  country,  and 
none  of  them  attain  any  great  size.  The  GtIakt  Earwig,  the 
largest  and  rarest  of  these  insects,  is  represented  on  Plate  VII. 
Fig.  1.  Its  name  is  Labidura  gigantea,  and,  as  Lord  Lytton 
remarks,  '  to  the  great  grief  of  naturalists,  and  to  the  great 
honour  of  Providence,  is  very  rarely  found.'  It  was  first  dis- 
co ved  by  the  Eev.  W.  Bingley,  in  1808,  upon  the  beach  near 
Christchurch.  He  observed  that  it  seldom  quits  its  place  of 
refuge  in  the  rocks  during  the  daytime,  but  runs  about  the 
sands  in  search  of  food  after  the  sun  has  gone  down. 

For  many  years,  no  other  specimens  of  this  fine  insect  were 
discovered,  and  some  doubts  were  entertained  as  to  the  pro- 
priety of  admitting  it  among  the  British  insects.  Of  late 
years,  however,  its  haunts  have  been  known,  so  that  Mr.  Bing- 
ley's  specimens  were  not  the  only  examples.  A  good  specimen 
in  my  collection  was  taken  on  the  sands  at  Folkestone  by  a 
lady  who  had  sufficient  observation  to  see  that  the  insect  was  a 


THE  GIANT  EAEWIG.  231 

peculiar  one,  sufficient  courage  to  capture  it,  and  sufficient  dis- 
crimination to  send  it  to  me.  It  was  caught  in  the  afternoon, 
and  I  think  that  it  must  have  been  frightened  out  of  its  hiding- 
place  by  a  little  boy  who  was  digging  in  the  sand  and  getting 
into  mischief,  after  the  custom  of  children  on  the  sea-shore. 

By  some  entomologists  this  insect  is  placed  in  a  separate 
genus  on  account  of  its  antennae,  which  have  more  than  twice 
as  many  joints  as  those  of  the  common  species.  The  name 
Labidura  is  composed  of  two  Greek  words,  signifying  '  pincer- 
tail,'  and  is  a  very  appropriate  one,  the  forceps  being  of  very 
great  proportionate  size.  The  name  Forjlcula,  which  is  given 
to  the  common  species,  is  Latin,  and  signifies  '  little  forceps.' 

As  this  instrument  is  so  important,  both  in  the  economy  of  the 
insect  and  in  deciding  the  species,  the  forceps  of  the  two  species 
which  have  been  described  are  given  on  Woodcut  XXV.  At 
Fig.  a  is  shown  the  forceps  of  the  male  Giant  Earwig,  and  at 
Fig.  b  those  of  the  female.  Similarly,  the  forceps  of  the  male 
Common  Earwig  are  shown  at  Fig.  c,  and  those  of  the  female 
at  d. 


OETHOPTEEA. 


OETHOPTEEA. 


CHAPTER   I. 

The  word  Orthoptera  signifies  Straight-wings,  and  is  given  to 
this  order  of  insects  because  their  wings  are  not  capable  of 
being  folded  crosswise,  as  is  the  case  with  the  Beetles  and 
Earwigs.  The  elytra  are  soft,  leathery,  strongly  veined,  and 
cross  each  other  at  their  tips,  and  the  true  wings  are  gathered 
under  them  in  longitudinal  folds,  like  those  of  a  fan,  the  tips 
frequently  projecting  from  under  the  elytra.  The  larvse  and 
pupae  resemble  the  perfect  insect  in  shape,  but  do  not  possess 
wings,  and  the  pupa  has  no  quiescent  stage,  but  is  as  active  as 
the  larva  or  perfect  insect,  therein  differing  essentially  from 
the  Beetles.  In  consequence  of  the  soft  texture  of  the  wing- 
covers,  some  entomologists  have  suggested  that  the  name  '  teg- 
mina'  be  substituted  for  'elytra.'  I  cannot,  however,  admit 
the  necessity  for  such  alteration,  and  shall  therefore  retain  the 
word  elytra. 

This  order  of  insects  is  tolerably  well  represented  in  this 
country,  and  some  of  its  members  are  so  numerous  and  so  dis- 
agreeable that  we  should  be  very  glad  to  dispense  with  them 
altogether.  Om*  English  Orthoptera  may  be  classed  under  the 
general  terms  of  Cockroaches,  Grasshoppers,  and  Crickets ; 
while  in  other  countries  we  find  the  strange  '  Walking-stick ' 
insects.  Soothsayers,  and  Leaf-insects.  A  few  examples  will 
serve  to  illustrate  the  British  Orthoptera. 

]Mr.  Westwood  divides  all  the  Orthoptera  into  four  sections. 
First  come  the  Cursoria,  or  runners,  of  which  the  Cockroach  is 
a  familiar  example.  Then  come  the  Eaptoria,  or  snatchers, 
such  as  the  Mantis  or  praying  insect,  which  have  the  first  pair 
of  legs  developed  into  instruments  of  prehension.     The  third 


236  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

section  is  the  Ambulatoria,  or  walkers,  such  as  the  Walking- 
stick  insects ;  and  the  last  section  is  the  Saltatoria,  or  jumpers, 
such  as  the  Grasshoppers  and  their  kin. 

The  first  section  is  represented  in  England  by  one  genus 
only — namely,  Blatta — and,  considering  the  nature  of  the 
cursorial  Orthoptera,  we  may  be  glad  that  they  have  no  more 
representatives  in  this  country.  In  these  insects  the  body  is 
rather  oval  and  flat,  the  thorax  is  very  large  and  shield-shaped, 
the  head  being  almost  concealed  under  it,  and  the  antennae  are 
very  long  and  thread-like.  The  males  are  fully  winged,  while 
in  the  females  both  wings  and  elytra  are  much  smaller  than  in 
the  male,  and  in  some  species  are  altogether  absent.  There 
are  several  species  of  Cockroach  in  this  country,  some  of  which 
are  indigenous,  while  others  have  evidently  been  imported. 

Such  is  the  case  with  the  Domestic  Cockroach  {Blatta 
orientalis),  which  has  completely  taken  possession  of  England. 
As  far  as  is  known  it  was  originally  imported  from  the  Levant, 
and  at  first  was  confined  to  seaport  towns.  The  climate, 
however,  suited  it,  and  so  did  the  prevalence  of  kitchen  fires, 
which  are  allowed  to  smoulder  through  the  greater  portion  of  the 
night,  thus  affording  the  requisite  supply  of  warmth.  As  for 
moisture,  which  is  as  necessary  to  the  insects  as  warmth,  the 
drippings  of  the  kitchen  boiler  are  generally  sufiicient  for  the 
purpose.  However  this  may  be,  the  insects  have  spread  them- 
selves over  England  in  ,a  manner  which  is  really  wonderful, 
considering  that  the  female  is  wingless,  and  must  thp.refore  be 
transported  by  other  means  of  locomotion  than  her  own  limbs 
can  supply. 

That  the  Cockroach  should  spread  over  London  is  easy  to 
understand.  London  is  a  seaport  town,  and  the  insect  could 
therefore  establish  itself  firmly  enough  by  the  water-side,  and 
afterwards  make  its  way  to  different  parts  of  the  metropolis,  a 
task  in  which  it  is  greatly  assisted  by  the  laundress  and  her 
basket.  Innocently  and  ignorantly  the  laundress  is  one  of  the 
principal  agents  in  the  dispersion  of  the  Cockroach.  Her 
washhouse,  with  its  perpetual  fire  and  water,  is  a  very  paradise 
for  the  Cockroach,  which  multiplies  therein  exceedingly, 
keeping  itself  hidden  during  the  day,  according  to  the  wont 
of  these  light-hating  insects.  The  laundress,  having  made  up 
her  basket  of  linen,  goes  off  to  her  well-earned  rest ;  and  as 


THE  COCKROACH.  237 

80011  as  the  light  is  removed  out  come  the  Cockroaches  in 
shoals,  and  hold  revel  all  night  in  the  warmth  and  wet  of  the 
room.  In  the  morning  they  mostly  retire  to  their  hiding- 
places,  hut,  if  suddenly  distm-bed,  scurry  off  to  any  place 
which  can  conceal  them,  and  find  the  linen-baskets  very  con- 
venient for  the  purpose.  Hidden  in  the  baskets,  they  are 
carried  off  to  the  various  houses,  where  they  escape  and  soon 
produce  fresh  colonies. 

Still,  though  the  Cockroach  can  be  carried  about  London 
by  the  laundress,  it  cannot  reach  the  interior  of  England  by 
such  means,  and  is  in  all  probability  imported  in  hampers, 
paper  parcels,  and  boxes,  having  crept  into  them  while  the 
goods  were  waiting  in  the  London  offices. 

Like  many  other  insects,  the  Cockroach  has  a  habit  of  dis- 
charging from  its  mouth  a  dark-coloui'ed  fluid  which  possesses 
a  most  abominable  smell.  This  odour,  indeed,  is  one  of  the 
principal  reasons  why  the  Cockroach  is  so  imiversally  detested, 
for  every  place  which  the  insects  frequent  becomes  in  time 
impregnated  with  this  nauseous  odour,  which  sometimes  is  so 
powerful  that  it  sensibly  affects  the  flavour  of  provisions  that 
have  been  left  in  larders  in  which  the  Cockroaches  are  specially 
plentiful.  Yet,  in  spite  of  this  odour,  and  possibly  on  account 
of  it,  the  Cockroach  is  a  favomite  food  with  many  animals, 
almost  all  insectivorous  birds  being  fond  of  it,  and  the  hedge- 
hog being  so  partial  to  it  that  one  of  these  animals  is  some- 
times kept  in  the  kitchen  for  the  express  pui'pose  of  destroying 
the  Cockroaches. 

I  have  even  heard  of  a  case  where  human  beings  have  been 
free  from  the  usual  dislike  of  these  insects.  Some  thirty  years 
ago  two  young  ladies,  sisters,  were  at  school  in  London,  where 
they  had  been  sent  from  Jamaica,  their  native  place.  After 
everyone  but  themselves  was  asleep  they  used  to  get  up 
quietly,  slip  down  into  the  kitchen,  and  there  catch  and  eat 
the  Cockroaches.  This  extraordinary  habit  was  not  detected  for 
some  time,  but  at  last  the  mistress  found  it  out,  and  remon- 
strated with  them.  They,  however,  defended  themselves  by 
saying  that  they  had  seen  her  eat  shrimps,  which  fed  upon  all 
manner  of  carrion,  whereas  the  Cockroaches  were  clean  feeders, 
living  on  the  crumbs  which  had  been  suffered  to  lie  about  in 
the  kitchen.     Even  after   the   discovery  it   was   almost   im- 


238  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

possible  to  keep  them  from  the  kitchen  at  night,  so  strong  was 
their  love  for  the  Cockroaches. 

In  popular  kitchen  parlance  these  insects  are  called  Black- 
beetles,  though  why  they  should  have  such  a  name,  not  being 
beetles  and  their  coloui"  being  dark  brown  with  a  decided 
tinge  of  red  in  it,  is  not  easy  to  see.  I  find  on  enquiry  that 
in  some  bakehouses  the  males,  which  are  distinguished  by  their 
wings,  are  called  Cockroaches,  while  the  wingless  females  are 
termed  Black-beetles.  As  is  the  case  with  insects  generally, 
the  Cockroach,  when  it  first  emerges  from  its  pupal  skin,  is 
almost  white,  the  dark  colour  being  attained  by  slow  degrees. 
Wishing  to  know  how  long  a  period  was  reqviired  for  the  deve- 
lopment of  the  dark  hue,  I  tried  the  experiment  by  catching 
one  of  these  '  white  Black-beetles,'  as  the  servants  called  it,  and 
keeping  it  in  my  room  imder  a  glass  cover.  The  dark  colour 
was  fully  developed  on  the  third  day,  but  I  fancy  that  a  longer 
period  would  be  required  in  the  darkling  recesses  in  which  the 
insect  loves  to  pass  its  life. 

One  of  the  most  curious  points  about  the  Cockroach  is  the 
mode  in  which  its  eggs  are  deposited.  The  eggs  of  most  in- 
sects are  independent  of  each  other,  or  at  the  most  are  attached 
to  each  other  after  they  are  deposited,  and  are  either  defended 
by  being  laid  in  some  sheltered  spot,  by  animal  varnish  with 
which  they  are  covered,  or,  in  a  few  instances,  by  an  artificial 
covering  placed  over  them  by  the  mother  insect.  But  the 
eggs  of  the  Cockroach  are  differently  constituted,  and  are  laid 
all  together,  enveloped  in  a  hard  horny  covering,  in  which 
they  lie  like  peas  in  a  pod.  The  technical  name  for  this  egg- 
case  is  ootheca,  a  word  which  signifies  '  egg-purse.'  The  egg- 
case  of  the  common  Cockroach  is  shown  in  Woodcut  XXV. , 
Fig.  e,  and  at  /  the  same  egg-case  is  drawni,  but  represented  as 
laid  open,  so  as  to  show  the  manner  in  whicli  the  eggs  lie  side 
by  side  in  it. 

This  egg-case  looks  exactly  like  the  kind  of  tart  called 
popularly  a  'turnover;'  and  indeed  if  the  apple  which  is  generally 
enclosed  in  the  '  turnover  '  were  cut  into  slices,  and  these  slices 
arranged  side  by  side,  a  very  accurate  copy  of  the  egg-case 
would  be  made,  the  apple  representing  the  eggs,  and  the  crust 
the  egg-case  itself.  These  egg-cases  vary  in  appearance  ac- 
cording to  the  species  of  the  insect  which  produced  them. 


EGG-CASE   OF  THE   COCKKOACH.  239 

That  of  the  domestic  species  is  wonderfully  large  considering 
the  size  of  the  insect,  being  three-eighths  of  an  inch  in  length, 
and  nearly  half  as  much  in  width.  It  is  shaped  something  like 
an  oblong  steel  purse,  the  part  which  represents  the  purse  itself 
"jeing  well  rounded,  and  that  which  represents  the  clasp  having 
a  row  of  very  fine  notches.  When  the  young  are  hatched,  they 
escape  through  this  portion  of  the  egg-case,  the  whole  side 
opening  exactly  like  the  clasp  of  a  purse,  and,  owing  to  the 
elasticity  of  the  material  of  which  the  case  is  composed,  the 
opening  closes  as  soon  as  the  young  have  escaped,  and  ex- 
ternally the  egg-case  looks  exactly  as  it  did  when  the  eggs 
were  still  in  it. 

If  the  empty  case  be  cut  open  a  curious  sight  presents 
itself.  On  the  outside  of  the  case  are  eight  small  rounded 
projections,  set  in  a  row  just  beneath  the  opening.  When  the 
interior  of  the  case  is  shown,  a  double  row  of  eight  cells  is  seen 
to  occupy  it,  half  of  the  cells  lying  on  either  side  of  the  case ; 
each  cell  being  lined  with  a  stout  yellowish  membrane,  and 
the  end  of  the  cells  exactly  corresponding  with  the  little  projec- 
tions which  have  just  been  mentioned.  The  mother  Cockroach 
takes  a  considerable  time  in  depositing  this  egg-sac,  and  carries 
it  about  with  her  for  several  days  before  she  finally  places  it 
in  the  spot  where  the  young  are  to  be  hatched. 

Another  species  of  Cockroach  is  shown  on  Plate  VII., 
Fig.  3.  This  is  the  Field  Cockroach  {Blatta  germanica),  a 
much  smaller  insect  than  the  domestic  species. 

Its  colour  is  a  pale  yellow,  sometimes  taking  a  reddish  hue, 
and  on  the  large  prothorax  are  two  conspicuous  longitudinal 
black  lines,  a  peculiarity  by  which  it  may  at  once  be  recognised. 
Unlike  the  domestic  Cockroach,  which  only  lives  in  houses,  the 
Field  Cockroach  lives  in  the  open  air  as  well  as  in  houses,  and 
in  the  former  case  is  to  be  found  under  decaying  leaves  and 
similar  situations.  There  is  a  slight  difference  in  the  colour 
of  the  insect,  according  to  its  habitation,  the  paler  specimens 
being  those  of  the  open  air,  and  the  reddish  hue  belonging  to 
those  which  live  within  doors. 

Whether  or  not  this  species  is  indigenous  is  a  mooted  poinfj, 
but  in  all  probability  the  insect  has  been  introduced  from  the 
Continent.     Mr.  Westwood  remarks  that  he  has    received  it 


240  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

from  Van  Diemen's  Land,  and  has  taken  it  on  board  vessels  which 
had  just  arrived  from  India.  It  is  also  common  in  Eussia, 
where  it  is  popularly  known  as  the  Prussian,  because  it  is 
thought  to  have  accompanied  the  army  on  their  return  from 
Germany  after  the  Seven  Years'  War. 

The  egg-case  of  this  species  is  just  a  quarter  of  an  inch  long 
and  one-eighth  of  an  inch  wide,  and  contains  thirty  eggs, 
whereas  that  of  the  domestic  species  only  contains  sixteen, 
eight  on  each  side. 

The  escape  of  the  young  when  hatched  was  witnessed  by 
Hummel,  the  naturalist.  He  took  an  egg-case  of  the  Field 
Cockroach,  put  it  into  a  bottle,  and  then  introduced  a  female 
Cockroach.  She  at  once  seized  the  egg-case  with  her  fore-legs 
and  slit  it  open  from  end  to  end.  Within  the  case  lay  the 
young  larvffi  attached  to  each  other  in  pairs,  and  enveloped  in 
a  delicate  membrane,  which  the  female  stripped  from  them  so 
as  to  set  them  at  liberty. 

Although  there  has  been  some  doubt  respecting  the  native 
country  of  these  two  insects,  there  is  none  respecting  certain 
small  Cockroaches  which  are  undoubtedly  indigenous  to  England. 
They  all  live  in  the  open  air,  and  may  be  captured  with  the 
sweep  net  in  long  grass,  heath,  rushes,  and  similar  situations. 
One  of  the  smallest,  Blatta  ericetorum,  is  barely  one-third  of 
an  inch  in  length,  and  like  the  rest  of  the  out-door  species  is 
pale  yellow  in  colour.     It  is  found  among  heath. 

England  possesses  no  example  of  the  Ambulatoria  or  Eaptoria, 
and  we  therefore  pass  at  once  to  the  Saltatoria,  which  may  be 
recognised  at  once  by  the  length  of  their  hinder  legs  and  the 
great  development  of  the  thighs,  which  are  large  and  powerful, 
as  is  the  case  with  nearly  all  leaping  insects. 

The  first  family  of  these  insects  is  the  Achetidse  or  Crickets, 
in  which  the  antennae  are  very  long  and  slender,  often  longer 
than  the  whole  body.  The  wings  when  folded  project  far  beyond 
the  elytra,  and  form  a  pair  of  long,  slender  filaments.  In  the 
.males  there  is  a  large  spot  at  the  base  of  the  elytra,  shining  as 
if  made  of  talc,  and  at  the  end  of  the  abdomen  there  are  two 
long  and  hairy  bristles,  which  seem  almost  to  serve  as  a  second 


HOUSE   CRICKET.  241 

pair  of  antennae,  and  to  warn  the  insect  of  any  danger  ap- 
proaching from  behind.  The  female  has  an  ovipositor,  or  in- 
strument for  depositing  the  eggs,  which  in  some  species  is  as 
long  as  the  body. 

The  best  known  English  species  is  the  common  House 
Cricket  (Acheta  domestica),  which  is  so  well  known  as  to  need 
but  little  description.  Still,  the  reader  will  find  that  a  careful 
examination  of  this  insect  will  be  especially  interesting  and 
instructive,  as  it  affords  an  excellent  type  of  the  whole  family. 
The  peculiar  veining,  or  « neuration '  as  it  is  scientifically  called, 
of  the  elytra  is  very  well  displayed,  this  being  a  very  important 
point  in  the  economy  of  the  insect. 

Every  one  is  familiar  with  the  shrill  noise  or  '  song '  produced 
by  the  Cricket.  This  sound  is  not  uttered  from  the  mouth, 
but  is  caused  by  the  action  of  the  elytra  on  each  other.  If 
the  reader  will  examine  one  of  these  elytra  taken  from  the 
male  insect,  he  will  see  that  there  is  a  very  strong  vein  or 
nervure,  starting  from  a  thickened  spot  almost  one-third 
of  the  length  of  the  elytra  from  the  base.  In  the  right 
eljrtron  this  nervure  is  marked  underneath  with  a  series  of 
notches  like  those  of  a  file,  and  this  is  the  instrument  which 
produces  the  sound.  When  the  wings  are  closed,  the  right 
elytron  lies  over  its  fellow,  so  that  its  notched  underside  comes 
upon  the  upper  part  of  the  corresponding  nervure  in  the  left 
elytron.  The  elytra  being  put  in  rapid  vibration,  the  notched 
nervure  plays  against  its  fellow,  and  a  shrill  sound  is  produced, 
strengthened  by  the  form  of  the  elytra,  which  act  as  sounding- 
boards.  The  action  of  the  notched  nervure  is  exactly  the  same 
as  that  of  the  iron  '  rasp '  which  used  to  supply  the  place  of  a 
knocker  in  old  houses.  I  may  as  well  mention  here  that  the 
name  Acheta  is  Greek,  and  signifies  '  shrill-sounding.' 

The  whole  arrangement  of  the  nervures,  indeed,  differs  in 
the  two  sexes ;  so  that  a  single  elytron  is  sufficient  to  tell  the 
entomologist  the  sex  of  the  insect  from  which  it  was  taken. 
In  the  Mole  Cricket,  which  will  presently  be  described,  this 
peculiarity  is  of  very  great  value,  as  it  affords  almost  the  only 
external  characteristic  by  which  the  male  can  be  distinguished 
from  the  female.  In  both  sexes  the  elytra  do  not — as  they 
appear  to  do  at  a  casual  glance — merely  lie  flat  on  the  back. 
There  is  a  very  strong  longitudinal  nervure  running  from  the 

R 


242  INSECTS  AT  HOItfE. 

base  to  the  tip,  which  divides  the  elytron  into  two  parts, 
namely,  a  tolerably  hard  part  that  covers  the  back,  and  a  softer 
part  that  is  folded  on  the  sides,  and  cannot  be  seen  when  the 
insect  is  viewed  from  above.  On  examination  with  a  lens, 
this  nervure  is  shown  to  be  a  sort  of  hinge,  and  along  its  inner 
side  the  elytron  has  a  very  deep  fold,  so  that  the  soft  part  can 
be  turned  down  at  right  angles  with  the  hard  portion. 

Up  to  this  point,  the  elytra  are  alike  in  both  sexes,  but  now 
all  resemblance  ceases.  The  male  elytron  is  much  broader 
than  the  female,  and  the  nervures,  instead  of  simply  running 
in  a  sort  of  network  composed  of  delicate  threads,'  are  very 
strong,  and  converge  towards  the  hard  spot  which  has  already 
been  mentioned,  merging  themselves  into  the  fine  network 
only  at  the  very  end  of  the  wing.  On  removing  the  right 
elytron,  and  examining  it  carefully,  the  serrations  which  produce 
the  sound  can  be  seen,  if  the  light  be  properly  adjusted.  They 
are  not  sharp,  but  rounded,  and  their  outlines  are  waved  in  this 
fashion  |.  I  particularly  mention  the  adjustment  of  the  light, 
because  the  serrations  are  not  easily  seen  ;  and  indeed,  when 
I  first  looked  for- them,  I  had  some  difficulty  in  finding  them. 

The  true  wings  of  the  insect  are  large  enough  to  carry  their 
owner  through  the  air,  but,  like  those  of  the  cockchafer,  the 
dor,  and  stag  Beetle,  are  not  sufficiently  large  to  prevent  it  from 
knocking  itself  against  obstacles.  Gilbert  White,  in  his  '  Sel- 
borne,'  Letter  XL VI.,  mentions  that  the  house  in  which  he  was 
writing  was  so  infested  with  Crickets,  that  they  became  absolute 
pests  at  night,  even  flying  into  the  flame  of  the  candle  and 
the  faces  of  persons  sitting  in  the  room. 

Of  their  mode  of  flight,  he  makes  the  following  remarks  : — 
'  In  the  summer  we  have  often  observed  them  to  fly,  when  it 
became  dusk,  out  of  the  windows,  and  over  the  neighbouring 
roofs.  This  feat  of  activity  accounts  for  the  sudden  manner 
in  which  they  often  leave  their  haunts,  as  it  does  for  the 
method  by  which  they  come  to  houses  where  they  were  not 
known  before.  It  is  remarkable  that  many  insects  seem  never 
to  use  their  wings  but  when  they  have  a  mind  to  shift  their 
quarters,  and  establish  new  colonies.  When  in  the  air,  they 
move  volatu  undoso,  in  waves  or  curves,  like  woodpeckers, 
opening  and  shutting  their  wings  at  every  stroke,  and  so  are 
always  rising  or  sinking.'     Mr.  Westwood  remarks  that  he  has 


FIELD  CRICKET.  243 

observed  that  Crickets  not  only  appear  suddenly  in  places 
where  they  had  not  been  seen  before,  but  disappear  as  suddenly 
from  places  where  they  had  been  plentiful. 

In  this  insect,  the  ovipositor  is  long,  straight,  slender,  and 
spear-shaped,  being  armed  at  the  end  with  a  sharp  and  en- 
larged tip,  which  looks  just  like  the  head  of  the  spear,  the 
shaft  being  represented  by  the  body  of  the  ovipositor.  On  a 
closer  examination,  this  apparatus  is  seen  to  be  double,  and, 
with  a  little  pains,  the  two  halves  may  be  separated  from  each 
other.  Each  half  is  then  seen  to  be  hollow,  a  deep  groove 
running  throughout  its  whole  length,  so  that  when  they  are 
placed  in  apposition,  they  form  a  tube  along  which  the  egg 

can  pass. 

There  is,  however,  a  further  provision  for  the  deposition  of 
the  eggs.  Not  only  is  the  shaft  of  the  ovipositor  hollow,  but 
the  enlarged  tip  is  likewise  hollow,  each  half  looking  very 
much  like  the  bowl  of  a  spoon.  A  still  closer  examination 
reveals  another  fact,  namely,  that  each  of  these  spoon-like 
parts  is  itself  double,  being  cleft  along  the  centre,  and  capable 
of  being  opened  by  pressure  from  within.  The  reader  will 
now  see  how  beautiful  and  delicate  is  this  contrivance,  which 
enables  the  mother  insect  to  introduce  her  egg  into  a  very 
small  crevice,  and,  while  she  is  doing  so,  to  hold  it  with  a 
grasp— not  as  of  the  two  unyielding  spoons,  but  of  four  elastic 
springs,  which  can  be  relaxed,  contracted,  or  entirely  loosened, 
at  the  will  of  the  insect. 

Crickets  are  wonderfully  quarrelsome  animals  ;  so  quarrel- 
some, indeed,  that  if  they  are  kept  in  confinement,  they  must 
be  kept  separately.  Of  a  number  which  I  placed  under  a  glass 
cover,  for  the  purpose  of  studying  them,  not  one  escaped  un- 
hurt. Some  had  their  limbs  torn  from  their  bodies,  some  had 
their  legs  bitten  completely  through,  all  were  more  or  less 
shorn  of  their  antennae,  and  several  were  killed  outright. 
Whether  they  fight  in  this  manner  when  at  liberty,  I  cannot 
say  ;  but  they  invariably  fight  when  placed  in  confinement, 
maks  and  females  being  alike  combative,  and  alike  suffering 
the  penalties  of  warfare. 

On  Plate  VII.  Fig.  6,  is  shown  the  Field  Cricket  {Acheta 
campestrls),  an  insect  stronger,  larger,  and  burlier  than  its 

B  2 


244  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

domestic  relative.  The  sexes  rather  differ  in  colour,  the  male 
being  black  with  a  yellow  patch  on  the  base  of  the  elytra,  and 
the  female  darkish-brown.  As  is  the  case  with  many  other 
insects,  especially  of  this  order,  the  colours  change  rapidly 
after  death. 

This  insect  lives  in  the  open  air,  residing  in  deep  burrows, 
which  it  digs  in  banks  where  the  soil  is  loose  and  moderately 
dry.  The  holes  are  tolerably  deep,  and  carefully  avoid  a  straight 
line,  so  that  the  inhabitant  cannot  be  seen  while  lying  at  the 
extremity  of  the  burrow.  It  is  no  easy  task  to  get  the  Field 
Cricket  out  of  its  burrow  by  force,  for  the  burrow  is  deep, 
and  the  soil  mostly  so  loose  that  when  the  spade  is  introduced 
into  the  ground,  the  earth  all  falls  together,  and  the  Cricket 
is  lost.  A  much  surer  way  of  obtaining  it  is  to  push  a  long 
and  flexible  gTass-stem  into  the  hole,  for  the  Field  Cricket  is  a 
very  irascible  being,  and  is  sure  to  seize  the  intruding  object 
so  firmly  in  its  strong  jaws  that  it  can  be  drawn  out  of  its 
hole  before  it  quits  its  hold.  In  France  children  catch  it  by 
tying  a  fly  to  the  end  of  a  horsehair,  by  way  of  bait,  and  then 
pushing  the  fly  towards  the  Cricket,  by  which  it  is  at  once 
seized.  The  fly,  however,  is  quite  needless,  as  the  bare  horse- 
hair wo\ild  answer  just  as  well^  the  Cricket  being  actuated  not 
by  hunger  but  by  anger. 

As  far  as  is  known,  the  Field  Cricket  is  a  solitary  being,  the 
individuals  of  each  sex  living  separately  in  their  own  burrow, 
and  only  meeting  at  night.  During  the  daytime,  although 
the  insects  will  sit  and  sing  at  the  mouths  of  their  tunnels, 
they  will  not  use  their  wings,  nor  even  exert  their  powerful 
legs,  except  for  slow  crawling.  This  is  a  very  wary  insect, 
taking  alarm  at  the  approach  of  a  footstep,  and  retreating 
at  once  into  its  burroAV ;  so  that  although  the  place  be  one  of 
those  localities  which  the  Field  Cricket  is  pleased  to  favour 
with  its  presence,  it  is  seldom  seen  though  continually  heard. 

It  has  already  been  mentioned  that  the  insect  is  a  quarrel- 
some one.  Grilbert  White,  who  has  written  a  charming  account 
of  it  in  his  '  Selbome,'  remarks  that  when  he  caught  a  number 
of  Field  Crickets,  and  tried  to  stock  an  old  stone  wall  with 
them,  the  first  comers  took  umbrage  at  the  introduction  of  new 
settlers,  and  invariably  attacked  them  with  their  powerful 
jaws.     He   found   also,  that   to   transplant  a  colony  of  these 


MOLE  CRICKET.  245 

insects  was  practically  impossible,  no  matter  how  carefully  the 
habitation  was  prepared  for  them.  He  tried  the  experiment 
of  boring  a  number  of  deep  holes  in  a  sloping  bank  in  his 
garden,  and  putting  into  them  a  number  of  Field  Crickets 
which  he  took  from  their  accustomed  haunts  outside  the  village. 
For  a  time  he  thought  that  he  had  succeeded  in  his  wish,  as 
the  insects  fed  and  sang,  but  they  deserted  their  new  habita- 
tion by  degrees,  and  at  last  wholly  abandoned  it. 

Another  species  of  British  Cricket  is  the  "Wood  Cricket 
{Acheta  sylvestris).  This  is  much  smaller  than  the  preceding 
insect,  the  head  and  body  not  being  quite  half  an  inch  in 
length,  excluding  the  antennae  and  appendages  of  the  abdomen. 
It  may  be  known  by  the  structure  of  the  elytra,  which  in  the 
male  do  not  reach  to  the  end  of  the  body,  and  in  the  female 
are  only  one-third  as  long  as  the  abdomen.  The  male  is  darker 
and  more  mottled  than  the  female.  This  is  a  very  rare  insect. 
Its  home  is  in  the  New  Forest,  where  it  has  been  found  near 
Lyndhurst,  under  dried  leaves  in  a  gravel-pit. 

On  Plate  VII.  Fig.  5,  is  shown  the  odd-looking  Mole 
Cricket  [Gr^llotalpa  vulgai^e),  one  of  the  largest  insects 
inhabiting  England,  not  only  being  larger  than  most  of  our 
insects,  but  stouter  and  more  muscular.  The  name  of  Mole 
Cricket  is  a  very  appropriate  one,  for  the  insect  is  not  only 
a  Cricket,  but  is  shaped  wonderfully  like  the  mole,  and  has 
many  of  the  habits  of  that  animal,  as  we  shall  presently  see. 
There  is  but  one  genus  and  one  species  of  Mole  Cricket  in- 
habiting England,  and  there  is  no  possibility  of  mistaking  the 
insect  even  in  the  earlier  stages  of  existence.  The  tibise  of 
the  fore-legs  are  developed  into  a  stout,  broad,  flat,  digging 
apparatus,  armed  with  sharp  and  strong  claws,  the  whole  limb 
being  almost  exactly  like  that  of  the  mole.  Two  views  of  this 
extraordinary  apparatus  are  given  in  Woodcut  XXV.,  the  upper 
surface  being  drawn  at  Fig.  9,  and  the  under  surface  at  Fig.  6. 
The  latter  figure  shows  how  the  small  feet  and  claws  are  tucked 
away  under  the  broad,  palmated  tibia,  so  as  not  to  be  injured 
while  the  insect  is  employed  in  digging.  Other  portions  of 
the  anatomy  of  the  insect  are  given  in  the  same  illustration, 
Fig.  i  representing  the  labium  and  j  the  maxilla  with  its  palpus. 


246  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

In  these  insects  the  female  does  not  possess  any  ovipositor, 
and  the  only  method  of  determining  the  sex  without  dissection 
is  by  examining  the  structure  of  the  elytra,  the  males  possessing 
the  notched  nervure,  and  the  females  being  without  it.  The 
sound  produced  by  the  Mole  Cricket  is  neither  so  loud  nor  so 
shrill  as  that  of  the  domestic  Cricket,  but  yet  it  has  been  pro- 
duced artificially  by  rubbing  together  the  elytra  of  a  newly 
killed  insect.  The  males,  by  the  way,  seem  to  be  rarer  than 
the  females. 

In  consequence  of  this  sound,  it  is  called  by  several  popular 
names,  varying  according  to  the  district  in  which  it  is  found. 
In  some  places,  for  example,  it  is  called  the  Churr-worm,  or 
Jarr-worm,  or  Eve-Churr,  while  in  others  it  is  named  the 
Croaker.  Its  hard,  shelly  limbs  and  general  conformation 
have  also  gained  for  it  the  name  of  Earth  Crab.  The  colour 
of  this  insect  is  brown  above,  with  a  peculiarly  velvety  surface, 
and  the  elytra  are  much  paler,  with  brown  nervures. 

The  Mole  Cricket  is,  as  its  structure  shows,  one  of  the  bur- 
rowers,  and  it  carries  out,  though  to  a  greater  extent,  many  of 
the  habits  of  the  Field  Cricket,  and  prefers  similar  ground,  so 
that  it  is  necessarily  a  local  insect.  Loose  sandy  places  are  the 
best  spots  wherein  to  find  the  Mole  Cricket,  which  can  generally 
be  captured  by  the  simple  device  of  pushing  a  flexible  twig  or 
long  grass-stem  into  its  burrow,  and  then  digging  round  the 
twig.  There  is  a  village  called  Besselsleigh,  a  few  miles  from 
Oxford,  where  the  Mole  Cricket  is  tolerably  plentiful,  and  from 
that  place  Dr.  Kidd  obtained  the  specimens  which  he  employed 
when  writing  his  admirable  monograph  on  the  insect.  The 
soil  there  is  loose  dry  sand,  heaped  in  many  places  in  hillocks 
and  partly  overgrown  with  grass,  and,  as  it  is  dry,  the  sand 
falls  back  into  the  holes  made  by  the  spade.  Yet,  Grilbert 
White,  in  his  '  Selborne,'  states  that  the  Mole  Cricket  haunts 
most  moist  meadows,  and  frequents  the  sides  of  ponds  and 
banks  of  streams,  performing  all  its  functions  in  a  swampy, 
wet  soil. 

The  normal  food  of  the  Mole  Cricket  is  of  a  vegetable  cha- 
racter, and  in  some  places  where  the  insects  are  common,  they 
do  much  damage  to  the  root-crops,  and  even  destroy  garden 
flowers,  cabbages,  and  grass,  by  devouring  their  roots.  They 
will,  however,  eat  raw  meat,  and  on  occasions  become  cannibals. 


GRESAT   GREEN  GRASSHOPPER.  247 

Dr.  Kidd  mentions  in  his  monograph  that  he  often  found  the 
hard  and  horny  parts  of  various  insects  when  dissecting  the 
digestive  apparatus ;  and  another  student  of  this  curious  insect 
has  stated  that  he  fed  a  Mole  Cricket  for  several  months  on  ants. 
Like  other  Crickets,  the  males  are  very  quarrelsome,  and  fight 
to  the  death,  the  victor  always  eating  his  conquered  adversary. 
The  males  appear  to  be  much  scarcer  than  the  females,  and 
in  them  the  right  elytron  laps  over  the  left,  whereas  in  the 
females  the  reverse  seems  to  be  the  case.  The  male  may 
also  be  knowij  by  the  arrangement  of  the  nervures  of  the 
elytra  and  the  notches  of  the  large  nervure  of  the  right 
wing-case. 

The  eggs  of  the  Mole  Cricket  are  deposited  under  ground  in 
a  chamber  about  the  size  and  shape  of  a  hen's  egg  cut  longitu- 
dinally. This  cell  is  dug  near  the  surface  of  the  ground,  so 
that  the  warmth  of  the  sun  can  penetrate  through  the  thin 
covering  of  earth,  while  the  eggs  are  perfectly  concealed  from 
any  ordinary  foe.  The  eggs  vary  in  number  from  one  to  four 
hundred,  and  are  a  greyish-yellow  in  colour.  The  wings  being 
small  in  proportion  to  the  size  of  the  body,  the  flight  of  the 
Mole  Cricket  is  in  a  succession  of  dips,  like  that  of  our 
ordinary  short-winged  birds. 

We  now  come  to  another  family,  namely,  the  Gryllidse,  in 
which  are  included  the  great  bulk  of  the  British  Grasshoppers. 
The  word  Ginjllidoi  is  taken  from  the  Greek,  and  signifies  '  a 
murmurer,'  in  allusion  to  the  familiar  sound  which  is  produced 
by  the  males  of  most  though  not  ©f  all  the  species. 

In  this  family  the  antennae  are  long  and  very  slender ;  the 
females  are  furnished  with  a  sword-shaped  ovipositor,  and 
the  wing  covers  of  the  males  have  a  talc-like  spot  at  their 
bases.  Mostly  both  wings  are  furnished  with  these  spots,  but 
in  some  species  there  is  only  one  spot.  There  is,  however,  one 
character  which  is  common  to  both  sexes,  namely,  the  disposi- 
tion of  the  wings  and  their  covers,  which,  when  the  insect  is  at 
rest,  are  laid  along  the  back  and  elevated  in  the  middle  like  a 
slanting  roof.  These  wing-covers  often  extend  far  beyond  the 
end  of  the  body. 

Our  best  type  of  these  insects  is  the  Great  Green  Grass- 
hopper   (Acrida    viridissima).     This   handsome    insect    lias 


248  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

always  been  a  favourite  of  mine,  partly  on  account  of  its 
beauty,  partly  on  account  of  its  habits,  and  partly  on  account 
of  its  size,  which  renders  it  an  admirable  object  for  the 
entomologist  who  is  studying  that  most  absorbing  branch 
of  science,  the  comparative  anatomy  of  insects.  Moreover, 
the  structure  of  the  internal  organism  is  so  clearly  marked, 
that  its  dissection  is  quite  an  easy  task,  compared  with  that  of 
many  insects.  A  figure  of  the  Great  Grreen  Grasshopper  is 
given  in  the  frontispiece,  a  female  insect  being  shown  in  the 
act  of  depositing  her  eggs. 

When  living,  this  insect  is  of  the  most  beautiful  leaf-green, 
but,  unfortunately,  this  colour  is  very  evanescent,  and  no  sooner 
is  the  grasshopper  dead  than  the  colour  begins  to  fade.  Indeed, 
the  hue  of  a  living  and  dead  specimen  is  as  different  as  that  of 
a  living  and  dead  leaf,  the  one  being  light-green  and  the  other 
yellowish-brown,  even  becoming  black  in  some  places.  I  do  not 
know  any  mode  of  preserving  for  any  length  of  time  the  soft 
green  hue  of  this  beautiful  insect,  and  regret  this  the  more, 
because  the  creatures,  which  would  form  such  beautiful  objects 
in  a  cabinet,  actually  become  unsightly,  and  can  only  be  valued 
for  scientific  purposes. 

This  is  a  tree-loving  insect,  and  is  seldom  found  in  the  grass. 
When  I  was  engaged  in  studying  the  internal  structiu-e  of  in- 
sects, I  procured  my  specimens  of  the  Great  Green  Grasshopper 
from  a  hazel  hedge  in  a  garden  just  on  the  outskirts  of  Oxford, 
the  insects  having  for  some  reason  or  other  taken  an  extra- 
ordinary fancy  to  this  hedge.  The  young  entomologist  must, 
however,  bear  in  mind  that  .for  the  Great  Green  Grasshopper 
to  be  in  a  particular  tree  is  one  thing,  and  that  to  find  it  is 
another  ;  for  its  colour  harmonises  so  exactly  with  that  of  the 
leaves  that  no  small  practice  is  required  before  it  can  be 
detected.  The  cry  of  this  insect  is  a  loud  one,  and  when 
it  produces  the  shrilling  sound,  it  clings  tightly  with  its 
feet  to  the  object  on  which  it  is  standing,  presses  its  body 
slightly  downwards,  and  seems  to  shudder  as  long  as  the  sound 
lasts. 

The  ovipositor  of  the  female  insect  is  very  long  and  sword- 
shaped,  and,  on  being  closely  examined,  is  foimd  to  consist  of 
several  blades,  which  fit  against  each  other  when  the  instru- 
ment is  not  in  use,  and  can  be  separated  to  allow  the  egg  to 


WAKTBITER.  249 

pass  to  its  extremity,  and  thus  be  emitted.  In  consequence 
of  the  shape  of  the  ovipositor,  some  entomologists  invented  the 
generic  name  Phasgonura,  or  sword-tailed,  and  placed  in  it 
this  and  allied  insects.  When  the  young  are  hatched,  an  event 
which  takes  place  in  the  spring,  they  are  very  tiny,  but  are 
shaped  much  like  their  parents,  except  that  there  are  no  wings, 
and  in  the  females  there  is  no  sign  of  the  ovipositor.  This 
remarkable  appendage  does  not  appear  until  the  larvae  is  seven 
or  eight  weeks  old,  and  it  increases  in  size  with  every  change 
of  skin. 

If  the  reader  should  possess  sufficient  skill  and  time,  he 
should  dissect  a  few  specimens  of  this  insect,  for  the  purpose  of 
studying  the  internal  structure.  Among  other  points,  one  of 
the  most  interesting  is  the  '  gizzard.'  Before  it  is  opened,  it 
looks  very  like  a  swelling  of  the  digestive  tube,  but  if  it  be 
carefully  slit  horizontally,  and  spread  flat,  a  number  of 
narrow,  parallel  bands  will  be  seen.  On  placing  one  of  these 
bands  under  the  microscope,  it  will  be  seen  to  consist  of  a 
number  of  very  small  teeth,  arranged  with  perfect  regularity, 
and  admirably  calculated  for  triturating  morsels  of  the  leaves 
which  have  been  cut  off  by  the  powerful  jaws,  and  then  swal- 
lowed. As  for  the  jaws  themselves,  their  power  may  be  easily 
ascertained,  for  the  insect  is  generally  given  to  biting ;  and  if  the 
searcher  after  knowledge  will  put  his  finger  in  the  way  of  this 
Grasshopper's  jaws,  he  will  at  once  be  convinced  both  of  the 
sharpness  and  strength  of  the  jaws.  Moreover,  he  will  not 
feel  it  necessary  to  repeat  the  experiment. 

There  is  a  smaller  species  of  this  group,  which  is  closely 
allied  to  the  Great  Green  Grasshopper.  This  is  the  Tree 
Grasshopper  [Meconema  varia),  an  insect  which,  as  its  name 
implies,  is  a  denizen  of  trees  rather  than  a  dweller  on  the  ground. 
It  is  to  be  found  on  the  oak,  and  the  best  mode  of  obtaining 
it  is  to  beat  the  branches  and  catch  the  falling  insects  in  a 
sheet  or  net  held  beneath  the  boughs.  Otherwise,  there  will 
be  much  difficulty  in  detecting  its  presence,  its  bright  green 
colour  being  almost  identical  in  hue  with  the  oak  leaves  among 
which  it  dwells.  In  this  insect  the  wing-covers  of  the  male  are 
without  any  stridulating  apparatus,  so  that  it  is  quite  silent, 
and  the  difficulty  of  finding  it  is  thereby  increased. 


250  INSECTS  AT   HOME.     • 

Another  of  these  insects  is  rare  in  England,  tbongh  plentiful 
on  the  Continent.  It  is  known  by  the  name  of  Wartbiter, 
because  its  bite  is  supposed  by  the  Swedish  peasant  to  have 
the  effect  of  destroying  the  wart.  Its  scientific  name  is  Dec- 
ticus  griseus. 

Very  probably  it  really  does  have  this  effect,*  for  there  is  no 
doubt  that  these  unpleasant  and  mysterious  excrescences  do 
make  their  appearance  and  disappear  without  any  assignable 
reason.  Only  a  few  days  before  writing  this  account,  I  over- 
heard a  dialogue  between  some  tradesmen's  boys,  who,  after 
the  manner  of  their  kind,  were  having  a  chat  under  cover  of  a 
hedge,  instead  of  going  about  their  duties.  One  of  them  made 
some  jeering  remarks  to  the  others  respecting  the  warts  with 
which  his  hands  were  covered.  The  boy  replied  that  he  did 
not  care  for  the  warts,  as  he  was  going  to  have  them  charmed 
away  next  morning,  and  appealed  to  another  boy,  who  said  that 
his  hands  had  been  covered  with  warts,  but  that  he  had  been 
to  an  old  man  who  charmed  them  away  for  twopence.  He 
held  out  his  hands  in  proof  of  his  assertion  ;  and  certainly, 
whatever  may  formerly  have  been  the  state  of  his  hands,  there 
was  then  not  a  wart  upon  them. 

It  is  remarkable,  by  the  way,  that  scarcely  any  two  wart- 
charmers  employ  the  same  method.  Some  rub  the  wart  with 
a  piece  of  bread  or  oat-cake,  which  they  bury  in  the  earth,  the 
wart  being  supposed  to  vanish  as  the  bread  decays.  Some 
hold  the  afflicted  hand  between  their  own,  and  blow  on  it,  while 
some  stroke  the  spot  and  repeat  some  gibberish  in  an  undertone. 
All,  however,  appear  to  agree  in  one  point — they  must  be  paid, 
and  paid  in  coin.  However  small  the  fee,  it  must  be  a 
bond  fide  payment  in  cash,  as  otherwise  the  charm  loses  its 
efficacy. 

The  only  solution  of  the  problem  that  has  been  afforded  is, 
of  course,  that  the  cure  is  wrought,  not  by  the  means  employed 
by  the  charmer,  but  by  the  imagination  of  the  person  who  is 
acted  upon.  But  how  imagination  can  so  act  upon  a  wart  as  to 
cause  it  utterly  to  vanish  is  in  itself  a  problem  which  requires 
solution,  and  certainly  has  never  received  one.  It  is  easy  to  see 
how  imagination  can  cure  an  imaginary  malady,  but  how 
an  emotion  of  the  mind  ca,n  absorb  into  the  system  an  external 
excrescence  of  the  skin  is  not  so  easy  of  comprehension. 


MIGEATORY  LOCUST.  251 

The  very  remarkable  insect  which  is  shown  in  Woodcut 
XXV.  Fig.  2,  may  be  known  by  the  exceedingly  small  size  of  the 
wings  and  elytra,  which  in  the  female  are  practically  absent, 
and  in  the  male  are  exceedingly  small,  not  extending  one- 
fourth  along  the  body. 

Its  name  is  Thamnotrizon  cinereus,  and  the  name  is  a  very 
appropriate  one.  It  is  composed  of  two  Greek  roots,  the  first 
signifying  a  garden,  and  the  other,  to  sing,  or  rather,  to  trill, 
and  is  given  to  the  insect  on  account  of  its  habits  of  singing  in 
gardens.  The  colour  is  brownish  or  rather  grey,  which  in  the 
male  is  marked  with  dark  browm.  The  colour  is  altogether 
darker  in  the  male  than  in  the  female.  As  is  often  the  case 
with  insects  of  this  order,  the  males  are  comparatively  rare,  so 
that  the  capture  of  a  perfect  male  Thamnotrizon  may  be  looked 
upon  as  an  event  in  an  entomologist's  day.  The  insects  are 
found  in  gardens,  or  sitting  among  logs  and  brushwood,  and 
they  also  frequent  fir  woods. 

We  now  pass  to  the  true  Locusts,  of  which  we  shall  take  one 
example.  In  these  insects,  the  antennae  are  comparatively 
short,  and  the  female  is  without  the  sword-like  ovipositor.  On 
Woodcut  XXV.  Fig.  1,  is  shown  the  well-known  Migratory 
Locust  {Pachytylus  migratorius).  The  name  Pachytylus  is 
composed  of  two  Grreek  words,  one  signifying  thick  and  the 
other  a  knot  or  hump,  and  is  given  to  the  insect  because  the 
front  of  its  forehead  is  rather  projecting,  and  very  hard  and 
thick.  Some  authors  give  it  the  name  of  (Edipoda,  or  Swollen 
Leg,  on  account  of  the  enormous  dimensions  of  the  thighs  of 
the  hind  pair  of  legs. 

This  fine  insect  is  very  variable  in  point  of  colour,  but  is  ge- 
nerally as  follows  : — The  colour  is  pale  brown,  the  elytra  being 
simply  spotted  with  dark  brown.  The  wings  are  very  large  and 
shining,  and  have  a  slight  green  tinge.  The  legs  are  brown, 
banded  alternately  with  black  and  yellow,  as  shown  in  the  illus- 
tration.    The  thorax  is  covered  with  fine  down. 

This  insect  is  happily  very  rare  in  England,  and,  although  a 
few  specimens  make  their  appearance  almost  annually,  the  insect 
has  never  fairly  acclimatised  itself.  During  the  summer,  news- 
paper paragraphs  are  plentiful,  announcing  the  capture  of  the 
Locust,  and  describing  its  dimensions.     Many  of  these  insects, 


252  INSECTS  AT  HOIHE. 

however,  are  not  Locusts  at  all,  the  word  Locust  being  applied 
in  various  parts  of  England  to  any  large  caterpillar  or  grub. 
Mr.  E.  Newman,  being  aware  of  this  fact,  tried  to  verify  the 
'  Locust  of  the  newspapers,  and  succeeded  in  six  cases,  three  of 
which  turned  out  to  be  caterpillars  of  the  Death's-head  Moth, 
one  the  same  insect  in  its  perfect  state  ;  and  the  other  two 
were  specimens  of  the  common  Humming-bird  Hawk-moth.  In 
all  other  instances  I  have  gained  no  reply  whatever,  the  writers 
being  so  confident  of  their  entomological  omniscience  as  to 
resent  the  idea  of  identification  being  needful.' 

In  hotter  countries,  however,  the  Migratory  Locust  is  one 
of  the  most  dread  plagues  that  can  pass  over  a  land.  The 
insects  swarm  in  countless  myriads,  and,  as  they  fly  on  their 
course,  they  darken  the  air  like  black  clouds.  Like  cloiids 
also  they  follow  the  course  of  the  wind,  for  they  have  little 
power  of  guiding  their  flight,  and  are  carried  along  as  the 
wind  happens  to  blow.  Nothing  but  a  change  of  wind  seems 
to  have  the  least  effect  in  checking  their  progress,  for  they 
seem  to  care  nothing  for  every  obstacle  that  the  art  of  man 
can  place  in  their  path  ;  and  even  fire  can  do  nothing  to  stop  or 
divert  them.  Vast  ranges  of  brushwood  have  been  fired  as 
soon,  as  the  Locusts  were  in  sight,  but  the  insects  were  swept 
whistling  along  by  the  wind  ;  and  though  hundreds  of  thou- 
sands perished  in  the  flames,  the  survivors  continued  their 
onward  course,  and  the  Locust  army  passed  on,  its  numbers 
scarcely  perceptibly  thinned. 

Even  in  Europe  the  ravages  of  the  Locust  have  been 
terrible ;  and  in  the  South  of  France  rewards  have  been  offered 
for  many  years  for  the  destruction  of  these  insects,  a  certain 
sum  being  paid  per  kilogramme  of  the  eggs,  and  double  the 
amount  for  the  perfect  insects.  But  in  Asia  and  Africa,  their 
armies  almost  exceed  belief.  One  column  of  these  insects 
measm-ed  no  less  than  five  hundred  miles  in  length,  and  was 
so  wide  that,  as  it  passed  along,  it  darkened  the  earth  to  such 
an  extent  that  large  buildings  could  scarcely  be  seen  at  a 
distance  of  less  than  two  hundred  yards.  This  swarm  occurred 
in  India. 

There  is  a  powerful  account  given  by  Chenier,  and  quoted 
by  Southey  in  his  '  Thalaba,'  of  the  effects  produced  by  a  swarm 
of  Locusts  in  Morocco.      '  In  1778,  the  empire  of  Morocco 


RAVAGES  OF  THE  LOCUST.  253 

was  ravaged  by  these  insects.  In  the  summer  of  that  year 
such  clouds  of  Locusts  came  from  the  south  that  they  darkened 
the  air  and  devoured  a  part  of  the  harvest.  Their  offspring 
committed  still  greater  mischief.  Locusts  appeared  and  bred 
anew  in  the  following  year,  so  that  in  the  spring  the  ground 
was  wholly  covered,  and  they  crawled  one  over  the  other  in 
search  of  their  subsistence. 

'  The  whole  country  was  eaten  up :  the  very  bark  of  the  fig, 
pomegranate,  and  orange-tree — bitter,  hard,  and  corrosive  as  it 
was — could  not  escape  the  voracity  of  these  insects.  The  lands, 
ravaged  throughout  all  the  western  provinces,  produced  no 
harvest ;  and  the  Moors,  being  obliged  to  live  on  their  stores, 
began  to  feel  a  dearth.  Their  cattle  died  with  hunger ;  nor 
could  any  be  preserved  but  those  which  were  in  the  neigh- 
bourhood of  mountains  or  in  marshy  grounds,  where  the  re- 
growth  of  pasturage  is  more  rapid. 

'  In  1780,  the  distress  was  still-  further  increased.  The  dry 
winter  had  checked  the  products  of  the  earth,  and  given  birth 
to  a  new  generation  of  Locusts,  who  devoured  whatever  had 
escaped  from  the  inclemency  of  the  season.  The  husbandman 
did  not  even  reap  what  he  had  sowed,  and  found  himself 
destitute  of  food,  cattle,  or  seed  corn.  In  this  time  of  extreme 
wretchedness,  the  poor  felt  all  the  horrors  of  famine.  They 
were  seen  wandering  over  the  country  to  dig  roots,  and, 
perhaps,  abridged  their  days  by  digging  into  the  entrails  of 
the  earth  in  search  of  the  crude  means  by  which  they  might 
be  preserved. 

'  Vast  numbers  perished  of  indigestible  food  and  want.  I 
have  beheld  country  people  in  the  roads,  and  in  the  streets, 
who  had  died  of  hunger,  and  who  were  thrown  across  asses 
to  be  taken  and  buried.  The  husband,  with  the  consent  of  his 
wife,  would  take  her  into  another  province,  there  to  bestow 
her  in  marriage,  as  if  she  were  his  sister,  and  afterwards  come 
and  reclaim  her  when  his  wants  were  not  so  great.  I  have 
seen  women  and  children  run  after  camels,  and  rake  their 
dung,  to  seek  for  some  undigested  grain  of  barley,  which, 
if  they  fovmd,  they  devoured  with  avidity.' 

The  writer  also  mentions  the  mode  in  which  the  young 
Locusts  were  destroyed  in  one  province.  A  vast  trench  was 
dug,  more  than  three  miles  in  length,  and  extending  from  the 


254  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

sea  to  a  river.  The  miniature  Locusts,  which  were  unable  to 
fly,  their  wings  not  being  as  yet  developed,  were  driven  into 
the  ditch,  whence  they  were  unable  to  escape.  In  this  way 
the  district  was  cleared  of  the  Locusts  ;  but  their  numbers 
were  so  vast  that,  on  the  third  day  after  they  were  driven  into 
the  ditch,  their  putrefying  bodies  infected  the  air,  so  that  no 
one  could  approach  the  trench.  The  reader  will  doubtless 
have  noticed  how  similar  is  this  account  to  the  many  Scriptural 
references  to  the  Locust  and  its  numbers.  In  Southern  Africa, 
the  young  Locusts  are  called  Voet-gangers,  or  Foot-goers,  and 
are  even  more  dreaded  by  the  agriculturist  than  the  mature 
insects.- 

There  is  certainly  one  redeeming  point  about  the  Locusts. 
They  eat  the  leaves,  the  flowers,  the  grass-blades,  and  the  very 
twigs ;  but,  then,  they  can  be  eaten  themselves.  I  never  had 
the  opportunity  of  tasting  a  Locust,  but  I  know  several  tra- 
vellers who  have  done  so  ;  and  they  all  agree  in  saying  that  the 
insect,  though  dry,  is  rather  palatable  than  otherwise,  and 
that,  when  the  provisions  run  short,  the  Locusts  form  an 
acceptable  addition  to  the  commissariat.  I  think,  however, 
that  the  dryness  which  is  mentioned  is  caused  by  the  rough- 
and-ready  style  of  cooking  which  is  adopted  by  travellers 
under  such  circumstances,  and  that  if  the  insects  were  better 
cooked  they  would  be  better  flavoured. 

I  am  led  to  this  belief  by  the  Nineveh  sculptures  in  the 
British  Museum.  One  of  them  represents  a  train  of  servants 
carrying  various  meats  to  a  great  feast.  Among  them  there 
are  several  men,  who  are  bearing  long  sticks,  on  which  are  tied 
Locusts,  just  as  cherries  are  tied  on  a  stick  or  onions  on  a 
string.  It  is  evident  that  in  this  case  the  Locust  is  not  looked 
upon  merely  as  a  succedaneum  for  better  food,  but  as  being  a 
delicacy  which  was  worthy  of  a  place  at  a  public  feast,  and 
was  borne  aloft  by  bearded  attendants. 

Although  this  is  the  species  which  is  most  common  in  these 
Locust  armies,  several  other  species  equally  deserve  the  name 
of  Migratory,  and  are  equally  destructive  to  the  herbage. 

I  cannot  leave  the  Orthoptera  without  mentioning  that  the 
arrangement  of  its  members  is  very  unsatisfactory,  and,  in 
spite  of  the   exertions   of  several  able    entomologists,   much 


ARRANGEMENT  OF  ORTHOPTERA.  255 

remains  to  be  done.  No  common  arrangement  has  as  yet  been, 
accepted,  and  the  consequence  is  that  scarcely  any  two  books, 
or  two  cabinets,  employ  the  same  system,  to  the  very  great 
confusion  of  the  beginner  in  entomology.  Still,  the  broad 
distinctions  which  have  been  given  in  the  preceding  pages 
are  simple  and  intelligible,  and,  by  their  means,  the  various 
Orthopteran  insects  of  England  can  be  grouped  without  much 
difficulty. 


THYSANOPTEEA. 


THYSANOPTEEA. 


CHAPTER  I. 

The  little  creatures  which  will  be  briefly  described  in  :hese 
pages  are  now  ascertained  to  belong  to  a  separate  order, 
which  has  been  named  Thysanoptera,  on  account  of  the 
curious  structure  of  their  wings.  This  name  is  derived  from 
two  Greek  words — one  sigiiifpng  a  tassel,  and  the  other  a 
wing — and  has  been  given  to  the  insects  of  this  order  because 
their  wings  are  furnished  on  the  edges  with  a  fringe  of  long 
hairs.  These  wings  are  long,  narrow,  and  are  not  folded,  but 
lie  flat  along  the  back,  and  slightly  crossed  over  each  other. 
There  is  no  distinction  between  wings  and  elytra,  and  in  most 
of  the  species  the  hairy  fringe  is  more  than  twice  as  wide  as 
the  wing  which  it  surrounds.  In  some  species  the  wings  are 
long,  but  in  some  they  are  short,  while  in  others  they  are 
practically  absent,  being  only  represented  by  the  undeveloped 
rudiments. 

One  of  these  insects,  Phlceothrijos  conacea,  is  shown  in 
Woodcut  XXVII.  Fig.  1 ,  and  is  a  good  example  of  the  order. 
As  may  be  seen  by  the  line  on  its  left  side,  it  is  a  very  tiny 
insect,  about  the  twelfth  or  fourteenth  of  an  inch  in  length, 
and  yet  it  is  larger  than  many  of  the  same  curious  group. 
Owing  to  their  small  size,  it  is  not  very  easy  to  make  out  their 
structure,  but  the  reader  should  try,  with  the  aid  of  the  micro- 
scope, to  examine  the  head  and  the  parts  of  the  mouth,  which 
are  very  remarkable  ;  and,  though  formed  of  mandibles  and 
palpi,  are  united  into  a  sort  of  conical  sucker,  which  lies  under 
the  breast  when  the  insect  is  still. 

There  is  no  difficulty  in  procuring  specimens,  as  the  insects 
are   exceedingly  plentiful — much  too    plentiful   indeed — and 

8  2 


260  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

may  be  seen  in  swarms  upon  flowers  and  various  plants,  espe- 
cially infesting  those  of  the  greenhouse,  where  they  become  an 
absolute  pest,  particularly  if  the  gardener  be  careless  about  his 
plants.  They  collect  in  great  numbers  on  the  underside  of 
the  leaves,  the  chief  part  of  the  damage  being  done  by  the 
larvae,  which  mark  the  leaves  with  little  decayed  patches. 
Stone  fruits  of  various  kinds  are  also  much  damaged  by  them, 
the  little  creatures  making  their  way  into  the  ripe  fruit  at  the 
base  of  the  stalk,  and  then  crawling  in — much  as  do  the  ants — 
between  the  stone  and  the  soft  substance  of  the  fruit. 

There  are  many  species  of  these  insects,  which  popularly  go 
under  the  collective  name  of  Thrips,  but  the  distinctions  are 
too  many  and  minute  for  any  but  a  purely  scientific  work. 
The  exact  position  of  the  order  is  still  a  mooted  point  among 
entomologists,  as  these  insects  resemble  the  Orthoptera  and 
Hemiptera  in  their  transformations,  while  the  structure  of  the 
mouth  is  quite  unlike  that  of  either  of  these  orders.  Van  der 
Hoeven  seems  scarcely  to  think  that  the  Thysanoptera  con- 
stitute a  separate  order,  and  considers  them  as  an  appendix  to 
the  Orthoptera. 


NEUEOPTEEA, 


NEUEOPTEBA. 


CHAPTER   I. 

The  important  order  of  insects  which  comes  next  on  our  list 
is  a  very  remarkable  one.  The  name  Neuroptera  is  formed 
from  two  Greek  words,  the  one  signifying  a  nerve,  and  the 
other  a  wing,  and  has  been  given  to  these  insects  because  the 
transparent  wings  ai-e  traversed  by  a  vast  quantity  of  nervures, 
which  divide  the  wings  into  a  greater  number  of  spaces  or 
'  cells  '  than  is  the  case  with  any  other  order  of  insects.  Both 
pairs  of  wings  are  of  equal  size  and  of  equal  solidity.  The 
larva  has  always  six  legs,  and  the  pupa  is  sometimes  quiescent 
and  sometimes  active. 

The  Neuropterous  insects  fall  naturally  into  several  groups, 
the  characteristics  of  which  are  so  strongly  marked  that  they 
are  well  known  by  popular  names,  such  as  Stone-flies,  Dragon- 
flies,  Lace-wing-flies,  and  the  like.  There  are  not  many 
species  inhabiting  England,  but  the  insects  are  mostly  plentiful, 
and  are  sufficiently  large  and  handsome  to  constitute  much  of 
the  beauty  of  our  country  scenes. 

We  will  begin  with  the  Perlidse,  or  Stone-flies,  as  they  are 
popularly  called.  These  insects  are  very  dear  to  the  angler, 
inasmuch  as  they  supply  some  of  his  best  and  most  certain  baits, 
whether  the  real  insect  be  used,  or  only  the  imitation  called 
the  'artificial  fly.'  They  are  the  more  valuable  from  being 
dull  and  sluggish  in  their  habits,  so  that  they  can  be  easily 
captured  as  they  sit  upon  the  trunks,  stones,  and  other  objects 
near  the  water's  edge. 

One  of  these  insects,  Perla  marginata,  is  shown  in  Wood- 
cut XXVI.  Fig.  1,  and  may  be  at  once  recognised.  The 
colour  of  this  insect  is  pale  yellowish  brown,  and  the  nervures 


264 


INSECTS  AT  HOME. 


of  the  upper  wings  are  peculiarly  large  and  bold.  All  the 
Perlidge  have  the  second  pair  of  wings,  very  large,  and  capable  of 
being  folded.  The  body  is  rather  flattened,  and  equally  wide 
throughout  its  length.     The  tarsi  have  three  joints. 

These  insects  are   aquatic  in    their    habits.     During   their 
larval  and  pupal  stages  they  live  in  the  water,  and  after  they 


XXVI 


1.  Peria  marginata.         2.  Limnephilus  bicolor.  3.  Phryganea  minor.         4.  Leptocenis 

ochraceus.  a.   Limnephilus,  labium.  6.   Limnephilus,   maxilla.  c.  Labium  of  ditto, 

female.        d.  Labium,  male.        e.  Anal  appendages  or  clasper,  male. 


have  attained  their  perfect  condition,  they  love  to  remain  near 
the  water  in  which  they  were  reared,  and  seldom  travel  to  any 
distance  from  the  familiar  banks.  The  mother  insect  imitates 
in  one  respect  the  female  Cockroach,  for  she  carries  the  eggs 
about  with  her,  attached  to  the  end  of  the  abdomen,  for  some 
time  before  they  are  laid.  They  are  not,  however,  enclosed  in 
a  hard  case  or  pouch,  like  those  of  the  Cockroach,  but  are 
merely  united   together   in    a   small   black    globular    bundle. 


STONE-FLIES.  265 

the  effect  of  which  against  the  light-hrown  grey  body  and 
wings  is  very  remarkable,  as  the  insect  flutters  heavily  from 
spot  to  spot.  The  membranous  envelope  within  which  the 
eggs  are  contained  is  exceedingly  delicate,  so  that  it  shows 
both  the  shape  and  colour  of  the  eggs  which  it  encloses.  The 
egg-cluster  of  Perla  marginata  is  about  as  large  as  a  swan- 
shot,  and  nearly  as  black.  It  is  rather  more  barrel-shaped 
than  globular,  and,  on  being  examined  with  a  lens,  is  seen  to 
be  composed  of  several  hundred  eggs,  agglutinated  together  in 
a  sort  of  semi-order,  as  if  the  eggs  had  been  deposited  in  strings, 
and  the  strings  wound  at  random  into  a  ball. 

These  eggs  are  deposited  in  the  water,  and  when  hatched, 
the  young  larv®  manage  to  crawl  under  stones  and  similar 
sheltered  localities.  They  prefer  running  to  still  waters,  and 
the  more  rapid  parts  of  the  stream  to  those  which  are  com- 
paratively still.  In  the  swift  river  Dove  these  creatures  are 
very  plentiful,  and  I  used  to  capture  almost  any  number  of 
them  in  the  spring  time,  the  rippling,  eddying  stream  exactly 
suiting  them.  Near  my  present  house  is  a  very  small  pond, 
through  which  a  stream  of  water  continually  runs.  It  is  mar- 
vellously rich  in  insect  life,  and  I  have  captured  in  it  a  variety 
of  aquatic  insects  in  all  stages,  which  utterly  astonish  those 
who  are  not  initiated  in  the  wealth  of  entomology.  Yet, 
though  I  have  industriously  fished  every  inch  of  this  pond,  I 
have  never  found  the  larva  of  the  Stone-fly.  Larvse  of  May- 
flies, Dragon-flies,  Caddis-flies,  Dyticus,  Acilius,  Gyrinus,  Noto- 
esta.  Gnats,  and  other  aquatic  creatures,  I  take  in  plenty,  but 
not  one  single  Stone-fly  larva  have  I  found,  though  I  have 
sedulously  examined  both  the  inlet  and  outlet  of  the  stream 
which  runs  through  the  pond  and  keeps  it  supplied  with  water. 

In  the  present  genus,  the  abdomen  is  very  stout,  and  has 
two  long  slender  appendages  at  its  tip.  The  wings  of  the  male 
are  very  short  in  proportion,  and  altogether  he  is  quite  an 
inferior  being  to  his  stately  mate.  There  are  several  species  of 
this  group  in  England,  some  of  which  are  known  to  anglers  by 
various  popular  names.  The  name  of  Stone-fly  is,  however, 
given  indiscriminately  to  at  least  four  species.  One  is  that 
which  has  already  been  mentioned;  another  is  scientifically 
known  as  Perla  grandis ;  a  third  is  Perla  cephalotes,  which,  as 
its  name  implies,  has  a  very  large  head  ;  and  a  fourth,  perhaps 


266  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

the  best  known,  is  Perla  bicaudata.  Then,  the  familiar 
'  Yellow  Sally '  of  anglers  is  Chloroperla  viridis,  and  the 
equally  familiar  '  Willow-fly '  belongs  to  the  genus  Nemoura. 

As  is  the  case  with  many  other  aquatic  insects,  the  pupse  of 
the  Stone-flies  crawl  out  of  the  water  when  they  are  about  to 
assume  their  perfect  state,  so  that  when  they  come  to  expand 
their  wings  an  ample  space  may  be  gained  for  this  important, 
and  often  perilous,  task.  The  details  of  this  process  will  be 
explained  in  connexion  with  the  various  species  of  Neuropterous 
insects. 

All  the  Perlidse  have  a  very  moth-like  aspect,  especially  on 
the  wing,  and,  owing  to  the  invariable  sombreness  of  their  hues, 
and  their  great  similitude  in  shape,  there  is  considerable  diffi- 
culty in  distinguishing  between  the  various  species.  With 
many  species  this  difficulty  is  still  more  increased  by  the 
difference  in  size  between  the  sexes,  the  males  being  scarcely 
one-third  as  large  as  the  females,  and  having  wings  very  short 
in  proportion  to  the  length  of  their  bodies. 

Now  we  come  to  another  family,  the  Epheraeridae,  'better 
known  by  the  popular  name  of  May-flies.  In  many  respects 
these  are  very  curious  insects,  and  not  the  least  remarkable 
point  about  them  is  that  in  the  perfect  state  they  have  no 
mouth.  Tlie  parts  of  the  mouth  are  certainly  there,  but  in  a 
rudimentary  condition,  and  entirely  incapable  of  receiving 
food,  so  that  during  the  time  of  its  existence  as  a  perfect 
insect,  the  Ephemera  never  eats,  neither  does  it  require  to  eat. 

The  wings  are  very  unequal  in  size,  the  lower  pair  being  very 
small,  and  in  some  species  reduced  to  mere  rudiments.  In 
consequence  of  this  formation  of  the  wings,  Dr.  Leach  con- 
sidered that  the  May-flies  ought  to  be  formed  into  a  separate 
order,  to  which  he  gave  the  name  of  Anisoptera,  or  imequal- 
winged  insects.  The  end  of  the  body  is  furnished  with  either 
two  or  three  long  and  slender  filaments  ;  and  by  these  three 
characters — the  mouth,  the  wings,  and  the  tail — the  May-flies 
may  be  at  once  distinguished  from  all  other  insects.  The  best 
known  species,  Ejphemera  vulgata,  or  Common  Mat-fly,  is 
shown  on  Plate  VIII.  Fig.  1. 

The  transformations  of  the  May-flies  are  very  remarkable, 
and  in  some  respects  almost  unique.     In  its  larval  condition, 


PLATE  VIII. 
DRAGON-FLIES,     MAYFLIES,     AND     CADDIS. 


1.  Ephemera  vulgata. 

2.  Ephemera,  larva. 

3.  Libellula  depressa. 
Sa.Libellula  emerging  from  pupa-case. 

4.  Libellula,  larva. 

5.  Calopteryx  virgo. 

6.  Agrion  minium. 

7.  Phryganea  grandis. 

8.  Phryganea,  larva  cases,  or  Caddis. 

Plants  : — 

Flowering  Rush  (Butomus  umhellatus).     In  Centre. 
Mare's-tail  {Hippuris  vulgaris).     On  Right. 
Water  Bistort  {Polygonum  amphibium).     On  Left, 


MAY-FLIES.  267 

the  May-fly  is  an  inhabitant  of  the  water,  and  in  form  much 
resembles  the  perfect  insect,  except  that  it  has  no  wings. 
This  species  lives  in  the  muddy  banks  of  rivers  and  ponds,  and 
burrows  for  itself  certain  ingenious  tunnels.  These  burrows 
are  double,  running  horizontally  into  the  mud,  and  having  two 
outlets.  In  fact,  they  are  shaped  much  like  the  letter  C,  so 
that  the  larva  can  crawl  in  and  out  of  its  hole  with  perfect 
ease.  Its  food  appears  to  consist  of  the  decaying  vegetable 
matter  of  which  fresh-water  mud  is  largely  composed. 

In  consequence  of  its  hidden  dwelling,  this  larva  is  not  often 
seen  even  by  those  who  are  in  the  habit  of  fishing  for  aquatic 
insects.  I  have  found  two  plans  to  be  successful  in  its  capture. 
The  first  is,  to  detach  a  large  piece  of  mud,  take  it  carefully 
from  its  place,  and  then  examine  it  under  water.  The  second 
plan  is,  to  push  a  stick  into  the  mud  and  work  it  about  so  as 
to  drive  the  larvae  out  of  their  burrows,  and  then  to  move  the 
net  rapidly  to  and  fro  in  the  clouded  water.  By  this  plan 
several  other  aquatic  insects  may  be  captured,  which  are  much 
too  wary  to  allow  a  net  to  come  near  them  as  long  as  they  can 
see  it.  The  muddy  water,  however,  reduces  them  to  a  tem- 
porary state  of  blindness,  and  they  are  then  taken  without 
difficulty.  Some  of  the  smaller  species  do  not  burrow,  but 
live  at  liberty  in  the  water.  In  these  species  the  surface  of  the 
body  is  harder  than  in  those  which  burrow. 

One  of  these  larvae  is  shown  in  Plate  VIII.  Fig.  2,  in  order 
to  give  the  reader  an  idea  of  its  shape.  In  its  larval  condition 
this  creature  is  furnished  with  two  rather  long  and  many- 
jointed  antennae,  which,  in  the  perfect  insect,  shrink  into  an 
almost  rudimentary  form.  Along  each  side  of  the  body  runs  a 
series  of  thin  plates  in  which  the  branchiae  or  gills  spread  them- 
selves. These  are  said  to  assist  in  locomotion,  but  I  have  not 
seen  them  used  for  that  purpose ;  the  undulation  of  the  body 
and  the  employment  of  the  legs  seeming  to  be  sufficient  for 
that  purpose.  At  the  end  of  the  abdomen  are  three  fringed 
appendages  or  setae,  and  it  is  a  rather  curious  fact  that  even  in 
those  species  which  have  only  two  setae  in  the  perfect  state,  the 
larva  possesses  three  of  those  appendages.  The  pupa  differs 
little  in  shape  from  the  larva,  except  that  the  wings  show 
themselves  boldly  in  the  form  of  projections  in  the  back  of  the 
thorax. 


268  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

After  passing  some  two  years  in  the  preliminary  stages,  the 
Ephemera  prepares  for  its  change  into  the  perfect  form.  The 
pupa  leaves  the  water,  and  almost  as  soon  as  it  emerges  into 
the  open  air,  the  pupal  skin  splits,  and  enables  the  insect  to 
crawl  from  within  its  former  envelope.  The  wings  are  soon 
stretched  to  their  utmost,  and  the  insect  then  flies  slowly  to 
some  tree  or  post  where  it  affixes  itself,  and  appears  to  rest 
after  its  exertions. 

Another  change,  however,  awaits  the  insect,  for  this  state  is 
only  preliminary,  and  is  scientifically  called  by  the  name  of 
'  pseudimago,'  or  false  insect.  After  it  has  waited  for  some 
little  time — depending,  as  far  as  I  can  see,  on  the  warmth  and 
dryness  of  the  atmosphere — the  skin  again  splits,  and  through 
the  aperture  the  insect  emerges,  leaving  the  abandoned  skin 
clinging  to  the  tree,  and  looking  exactly  like  the  living  insect. 
The  wings  now  assume  a  lighter  and  more  delicate  aspect,  the 
filaments  at  the  end  of  the  body  increase  to  nearly  twice  their 
former  length,  and  the  May-fly  launches  into  tlie  air  to  take 
its  part  in  that  evening  dance  with  which  we  are  all  so  familiar, 
the  insects  rising  and  falling  almost  in  the  same  place  for  several 
hours  together.  Should  the  reader  be  an  angler,  he  will 
recognise  in  the  female  pseudimago  the  '  Green  Drake,'  and  in 
the  perfect  insect  the  '  Grey  Drake.'  The  angler  only  cares 
for  the  female  insects,  because  the  fish  prefer  them,  laden  as  they 
are  with  eggs,  to  the  males,  which  have  little  in  them  but  air. 

The  May-fly  has  not  much  time  in  which  to  enjoy  its  new 
phase  of  existence.  As  has  already  been  mentioned,  it  has 
no  mouth,  and  as  it  cannot  eat,  is  evidently  incapable  of  any 
lengthened  term  of  life.  It  has  in  fact  but  one  business, 
namely,  to  seek  a  mate,  and  provide  a  new  generation  in  place 
of  that  which  is  now  passing  away.  The  May-fly  seldom  lives 
more  than  a  few  hours,  and  in  its  natural  condition  is  supposed 
never  to  exceed  the  limits  of  a  single  day.  The  name  Ephem- 
era, which  is  formed  from  two  Greek  words  signifying  an 
existence  of  a  day,  alludes  to  this  shortness  of  life,  and  was 
given  to  the  insect  as  long  ago  as  the  time  of  Aristotle. 
Isolated  specimens  have  certainly  lived  longer  than  tliis  brief 
term,  for  tliey  have  been  known  to  live  more  than  a  week  in 
captivity.  Had  they,  however,  been  at  liberty,  it  is  most  pro- 
bable, if  not  certain,  that  their  lives  would  have  been  as  short 
as  is  mostly  the  case  with  the  May-flies. 


DRAGON-FLIES.  269 

In  Kirby  and  Spence's  well-known  work,  there  is  an  account 
of  a  still  more  strange  prolongation  of  life.  There  are  certain 
flies  whose  larvae  feed  on  aphides,  which  live  in  their  three 
stages  about  six  weeks.  One  of  tliem  had  been  caught  when 
half-grown,  and,  having  been  once  or  twice  fed,  was  forgotten 
for  three  months,  when  it  was  found  to  be  alive.  It  actually 
lived  for  a  whole  year  without  a  particle  of  food,  and,  as  is  well 
remarked,  '  it  had  existed  in  the  larva  state  more  than  eight 
times  as  long  as  it  would  have  lived  in  all  its  states,  if  it  had 
regularly  undergone  its  metamorphoses,  which  is  as  extraordi- 
nary a  prolongation  of  life  as  if  a  man  were  to  live  560  years.' 

Sometimes  tlie  May-flies  are  wonderfully  numerous,  the  air 
being  filled  with  their  swarms  as  they  flutter  up  and  down  in 
their  strange  flight,  and  the  trees  and  banks  covered  with  the 
shed  pellicles  of  the  first-winged  stage.  Even  in  England  I 
have  known  the  May-flies  to  be  in  such  swarms  that  the 
very  trout  could  not  be  taken  with  the  hook,  so  gorged  were 
they  with  the  May-flies  that  fell  by  thousands  into  the  water. 
In  some  parts  of  Europe,  however,  tlie  numbers  of  these  insects 
are  so  vast,  that  their  bodies  are  collected  into  heaps  and  used 
for  manuring  the  fields. 

The  next  family  is  a  very  conspicuous  one,  and  there  is  no 
likelihood  of  mistaking  one  of  them  for  any  other  kind  of 
insect.  Scientifically  these  insects  are  termed  Libellulidae,  and 
they  are  familiarly  known  as  Dragon-flies  or  Horse-stingers,  the 
latter  name  being  given  them  from  an  absurd  notion  that  they 
sting  horses.  It  is  curious  to  notice  how  widely  and  deeply 
this  idea  has  impressed  itself  upon  the  general  mass  of  country 
people,  and  to  see  how  terrified  they  are  at  the  very  idea  of 
touching  a  Dragon-fly.  I  suppose  that  the  convulsive  jerkings 
of  the  long-bodied  Dragon-flies  when  captured  have  given  rise 
to  this  opinion.  With  regard  to  the  name  of  Dragon-flies,  it 
is  a  very  appropriate  one,  as  we  shall  presently  see. 

In  these  insects  the  body  is  always  long,  and  in  most  cases 
nearly  cylindrical,  though  in  some  it  is  rather  wide  and  flat- 
tened. The  wings  are  very  large,  powerful,  translucent, 
strongly  veined,  and  of  equal  size  ;  and  the  meshes,  or  '  reticula- 
tions,' are  so  close  as  to  divide  the  wing  into  a  very  great  num- 
ber of  cells. 


270  INSECTS   AT  HOME. 

The  head  is  adorned  with  two  enormous  eyes,  or  rather  eye- 
masses,  and,  dui'ing  the  life  of  the  insect,  the  light  plays  in 
and  through  these  eyes  in  a  most  beautiful  but  quite  inde- 
scribable manner.  Unfortunately,  this  play  of  colour  and 
light  fades  together  with  the  life,  and,  when  the  insect  is  dry, 
it  vanishes  altogether.  Beside  the  compound  eyes,  there  are 
three  '  ocelli,'  or  simple  eyes,  placed  usually  in  a  row  on  the 
front  of  the  head.  The  antennae  are  very  short  and  small, 
and  have  never  more  than  eight  joints.  The  mouth  is  very 
curiously  formed,  the  mandibles  and  the  maxillse  being  hidden 
behind  two  large  flat  lips,  which  move  up  and  down  while  the 
insect  is  eating,  so  that  at  first  sight  the  Dragon-fly  really 
looks  as  if  its  mouth  worked  vertically  and  not  laterally. 

During  its  preliminary  stages  the  Dragon-fly  lives  in  the 
water,  and  the  larva  is  one  of  the  most  curious  and  interesting 
beings  which  our  waters  produce*  These  larvae  are  so  wonderful, 
in  fact,  and  possess  so  many  points  of  interest,  that  I  scarcely 
know  which  to  take  first.  The  chief  points  of  interest  lie, 
however,  in  the  head  and  the  tail,  and  we  will  give  to  the 
former  the  place  of  honour. 

At  first  sight  the  head  does  not  appear  to  differ  very  much 
from  that  of  otlier  insects,  but  on  closer  examination  a  very 
singular  development  of  the  mouth  is  shown.  If  the  creature 
be  turned  on  its  back,  a  horny  plate  will  be  seen,  which  covers 
the  whole  of  the  under  side  of  the  head  and  descends  as  far  as 
the  bases  of  the  middle  pair  of  legs.  With  a  pin  it  is  easy 
to  raise  this  plate,  which  then  shows  itself  to  be  composed  of 
several  portions  and  furnished  with  a  hinge,  by  means  of 
which  it  can  be  doubled  upon  itself.  The  upper  part,  which 
covers  the  face,  is  much  widened,  and  is  furnished  with  two 
jaw-like  appendages,  which  can  be  opened  or  closed  at  will, 
and  are  finely  toothed  at  their  lower  edges. 

This  remarkable  apparatus  is  a  development  of  the  lower  lip, 
and  is  called  the  mask,  because,  when  closed,  it  covers  the 
lower  part  of  the  head.  The  object  of  the  mask  is  to  catch 
prey,  and  a  very  effective  apparatus  it  is.  When  an  unfor- 
tunate insect  comes  near,  the  Dragon-fly  larva  suddenly  un- 
folds its  mask,  darts  it  out  to  its  full  lengtli,  and  seizes  the 
insect  in  the  jaws.  The  mask  is  then  closed  again,  and,  when 
folded,  the  jaws  of  the  mask  come  exactly  upon  those  of  the 


L.\EVA   OF   THE   DRAGON-FLY.  271 

mouth,  SO  that  the  prey  can  be  eaten  without  trouble.  In 
Plate  VIII.  Fig-.  4,  the  end  of  the  still  folded  mask  is  seen,  the 
jaws  being  opened  preparatory  to  the  darting  forward  of  the 
mask.  Tlie  shape  and  details  of  this  structure  vary  somewhat 
in  the  different  species. 

The  larva  is  a  voracious  creature,  and  will  eat  almost  any 
aquatic  insect  which  it  can  master,  and  has  even  been  known 
to  catcli  and  eat  small  fishes.  In  its  own  turn,  however,  it 
falls  a  victim  to  the  more  powerful  inhabitants  of  the  water, 
being  attacked  and  eaten  by  the  Dyticus  and  even  by  the 
Acilius.  Two  specimens  of  Acilius  which  I  kept  in  an 
aquarium  managed  to  eat,  in  little  more  than  a  fortnight, 
three  out  of  four  Dragon-fly  larvae  which  were  in  the  same 
vessel ;  and  in  the  waters  where  the  creatures  live  I  have  often 
found  the  dead  and  partly-eaten  bodies  of  Dragon-fly  larvae,  the 
destroyer  having  evidently  been  the  Dyticus. 

We  will  now  proceed  to  the  other  end  of  the  creature,  and 
examine  its  tail.  When  taken  out  of  the  water,  the  tail 
appears  to  end  in  a  sharp,  horny  point;  but,  when  it  is  re- 
placed in  water,  the  pointed  tail  opens  and  shows  that  it  is 
composed  of  five  sharp  appendages,  three  being  much  larger 
than  the  others.  When  they  are  opened,  a  tube  is  discovered 
passing  into  the  body  of  the  larva.  All  the  five  spikes  are 
jointed  together  at  their  bases,  so  that  if  one  be  drawn  aside 
the  other  four  immediately  spread  themselves  apart.  The 
aperture  which  lies  between  them  is  just  large  enough  to  allow 
an  ordinary  pin  to  pass  easily  through  it. 

Within  the  abdomen  is  the  respiratory  apparatus,  which  ex- 
tracts the  oxygen  from  the  water,  and,  when  that  gas  has  been 
exhausted,  the  water  is  expelled  and  a  fresh  supply  taken  in 
through  the  same  apertm-e.  If  the  larva  be  placed  in  a  shallow 
vessel  and  watched  carefully,  the  process  of  respiration  can 
be  easily  observed.  The  five  pointed  projections  are  kept  about 
half  open,  and  the  water  is  ejected  in  gentle  and  tolerably 
regular  pulsations  as  long  as  the  creature  is  undisturbed. 
Should  it,  however,  be  alarmed,  it  suddenly  expels  the  water 
with  such  violence  that  it  drives  itself  forward  with  great 
speed  the  principle  being  exactly  the  same  as  that  which 
causes  the  flight  of  a  rocket. 

If  the  bottom  of  the  vessel  in  which  the  larva  is  kept  be 


272  INSECTS  AT  HOME, 

dusted  with  fine  sand,  the  force  of  the  expelled  water  can  be  at 
once  measured  by  the  displacement  of  the  sand.  If  the  vessel 
be  a  deep  one,  no  such  proof  of  the  propelling  power  can  be 
seen,  and  the  creature  darts  through  the  water  as  if  impelled 
by  some  magic  power.  The  reader  may  perhaps  remember 
that  a  '  direct  action '  movement  has  lately  been  applied  to 
steamboats,  the  principle  having  been  avowedly  borrowed  from 
this  very  creature. 

There  is  very  little  change  in  form  or  habits  between  the 
larva  and  the  pupa.  Towards  the  end  of  the  larval  existence, 
a  sort  of  longitudinal  hump  makes  its  appearance  on  the  upper 
part  of  the  thorax,  and,  when  the  last  larval  skin  is  thrown  off, 
this  hump  is  seen  to  consist  of  the  future  wings,  which  are  at 
present  thick,  narrow  and  small,  their  tips  only  reacliing  about 
one  quarter  of  the  length  of  the  abdomen.  The  mask  retains 
its  place  and  office,  but  the  head  is  much  larger  and  broader, 
and  the  splendid  eyes  of  the  perfect  insect  begin  to  shine 
under  their  covering. 

It  is  quite  as  voracious  in  the  pupal  as  in  the  larval  stage  of 
existence.  One  of  my  own  specimens  has  just  seized  with  its 
mask  the  larva  of  a  Whirlwig  Beetle  which  had  been  unlucky 
enough  to  come  within  reach.  The  whole  proceeding  was  very 
much  like  that  of  the  toad  when  catching  insects.  The  mask 
flashed  out  so  rapidly  that  its  movements  were  scarcely  visible, 
and  in  a  moment  the  unfortunate  larva  had  been  grasped 
by  the  middle  and  held  against  the  cruel  jaws.  So  rapid, 
indeed,  was  the  movement,  that  it  looked  very  much  as 
if  the  larva  had  intentionally  darted  into  its  destroyer's 
mouth. 

One  of  these  insects  made  a  rather  absuixl  mistake.  It  saw 
a  detached  leg  of  a  Dyticus  which  was  floating  on  the  surface, 
shot  itself  immediately  under  it,  and  seized  the  leg  in  passing. 
It  soon  discovered  its  error ;  and,  after  trying  in  vain  to  eat 
the  hard-shelled  limb,  jerked  it  away  as  if  in  anger.  I  have 
noticed  that  in  seizing  its  prey  the  Dragon-fly  larva  prefers, 
like  the  shark,  to  get  below  it,  and  to  make  an  upward  stroke 
with  its  armed  mask. 

A  still  stronger  proof  of  voracity  was  also  given.  I  had 
taken  a  larva  of  the  Acilius,  one  of  the  Water  Beetles,  which 
is  closely  allied  to  the  Dyticus  described  on  page  59.     It  is 


VORACITY  OF  THE  DRAGON-FLY  LARVA.  273 

itself  a  voracious  and  formidable  creature,  being  furnished 
with  two  enormous  curved  jaws,  and  in  foi'm  almost  exactly 
resembling  the  larva  of  the  Dyticus  shown  on  Plate  III.  Fig.  4. 
Thinking  that  the  larva  would  be  very  well  able  to  take  care 
of  itself,  I  put  it  into  the  basin,  intending  next  morning  to 
observe  through  the  microscope  the  fringed  apparatus  at  the 
end  of  the  body.  But,  at  a  very  early  hour  next  morning,  the 
larva  had  vanished.  I  knew  that  it  was  physically  incapable 
of  crawling  out  of  the  vessel,  and  at  last,  after  a  strict  search, 
I  found  one  of  its  large  mandibles  lying  at  the  bottom  of  the 
basin,  the  only  vestige  that  the  voracious  Dragon-fly  larva  had 
left  of  its  victim. 

Since  that  enormous  meal  the  larva  has  changed  into  a 
pupa,  and  is  just  as  restless  and  voracious,  and  has  completed 
its  course  of  destruction  by  killing  and  eating  its  companion, 
the  contents  of  whose  body  it  has  completely  scooped  out. 

Although  neither  in  the  larval  nor  pupal  state  does  it 
possess  the  vivid  colours  with  which  the  perfect  insect  is 
adorned,  it  is  yet  possessed  of  a  certain  beauty.  The  colour  of 
the  body  is  pale  brown,  but  the  legs  are  as  translucent  as  if 
made  of  horn  and  banded  at  regular  intervals  with  small 
dark-brown  stripes.  Along  the  sides,  each  segment  of  the 
body  is  furnished  with  two  sharp  and  projecting  spikes,  which 
point  towards  the  tail.  In  consequence  of  this  structure,  the 
creature  is  a  difficult  one  to  hold,  wrigo-ling  itself  like  a  snake 
when  held  in  the  fingers,  and  gradually  working  its  way  through 
them.  The  best  way  of  examining  these  curious  beings  is  to 
take  one  of  them  and  place  it  in  a  shallow  saucer,  with  just 
enough  water  to  cover  it.  The  under  surface  can  be  observed 
in  the  same  vessel ;  for,  if  the  larva  be  laid  on  its  back,  it 
gives  a  few  struggles  and  then  seems  to  acquiesce  in  its  posi- 
tion, lying  perfectly  still,  and  allowing  the  lens  to  be  placed 
close  to  its  body  without  appearing  to  be  in  the  least 
alarmed. 

The  particular  larva  that  has  been  described  is  that  of 
^Eshna  grandis,  one  of  our  largest  Dragon-flies,  but  the  de- 
scription will  suit  almost  any  species,  their  general  form  and 
habits  being  very  much  alike. 

When  the  pupa  has  nearly  completed  its  time  it  ceases  to 
feed,   and  the  respiration  seems  difficult  and   laboui'ed.     An 

T 


274  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

irrepressible  instinct  then  drives  it  to  leave  the  water  in  which 
it  has  so  long-  lived,  and,  seizing  the  stem  of  a  reed  or  other 
aquatic  plant,  it  crawls  upwards  until  it  is  a  foot  or  two  above 
the  surface ;  clasping  the  reed  firmly  with  its  feet,  it  sways 
itself  backwards  and  forwards  until  the  pupal  skin  splits  along 
the  shoulders  and  the  wings  and  body  of  the  perfect  insect 
show  themselves  beneath  it. 

The  respiration  is  now  changed.  Formerly,  as  has  been 
described,  that  function  was  performed  by  means  of  a  gill-like 
apparatus  within  the  body,  but  now  the  insect  begins  to 
breathe  atmospheric  air  by  means  of  spiracles.  It  rests  for  a 
time,  as  if  to  accustom  itself  to  so  radical  a  change,  and  then 
recommences  its  struggles.  By  degrees  it  draws  itself  entirely 
from  the  pupal  envelope,  which  is  left  still  clinging  to  the 
plant  up  which  it  had  crawled.  In  spots  where  Dragon-flies 
abound,  these  shed  skins  can  often  be  found,  clinging  as  firmly 
to  the  plant  as  if  still  tenanted  by  the  insect.  The  meta- 
morphosis, though  complete  in  one  sense,  is  not  yet  finished ; 
for  the  wings  are  still  thick,  short,  and  scarcely  larger  than  in 
the  pupal  state.  Presently  the  insect  begins  to  take  a  series  of 
deep  inspirations,  quivering  the  wings  tlie  while ;  and,  as  it 
does  so,  they  rapidly  enlarge,  fold  after  fold  shakes  itself  out 
as  the  air  is  driven  through  the  vessels  which  permeate  them, 
and  at  last  they  are  spread  in  all  their  shining  beauty.  Yet  a 
while  the  insect  waits  until  the  wings  have  gained  their  need- 
ful strength,  and  then  it  darts  off  into  the  air  to  begin  its 
new  life. 

As  in  its  former  stages,  the  Dragon-fly  is  terribly  preda- 
ceous,  and,  contrary  to  the  ways  of  most  insects,  eating  seems 
to  be  the  chief  object  in  life.  From  early  morning  to  night- 
fall the  Dragon-fly  is  perpetually  hunting  and  devouring  prey, 
and  in  nowise  particular  respecting  the  nature  of  its  food  nor 
the  way  in  which  it  is  obtained.  For  example,  if  a  Dragon-fly 
be  caught  uninjured,  and  held  by  its  wings,  it  will  eat  almost 
any  amount  of  insects  that  may  be  supplied  to  it.  Nor  does  it 
confine  itself  to  insects,  for  it  will  devour  spiders,  centipedes, 
millipedes,  fresh-water  shrimps,  and  similar  creatures  ;  and,  as 
soon  as  it  is  released,  it  will  start  off  again  on  a  hawking  ex- 
pedition, apparently  as  hungry  as  if  it  had  had  nothing  to  eat 
for  a  whole  day. 


FLIGHT  OF  THE  DRAGON-FLY.  275 

There  is  a  peculiarity  in  the  flight  of  the  Dragon-fly — at  all 
events  in  some  species — which  assists  it  greatly  in  chasing  prey. 
It  has  the  power  of  suddenly  reversing  the  stroke  of  its  wings, 
so  tliat  it  can  stop  itself  in  full  career,  and  can  even  fly  back- 
wards with  some  speed.  This  power  is  specially  useful  when 
the  Dragon-fly  is  engaged  in  chasing  an  insect  among  obstacles, 
and,  when  it  has  darted  into  a  narrow  passage  in  which  there 
is  not  sufficient  space  for  it  to  turn,  it  can  back  itself  out  again 
without  much  difficulty. 

It  is  a  pity  that  the  lovely  colours  with  which  most  of  these 
insects  are  decorated  should  be  so  fleeting,  but  it  is  a  sad  fact 
that  there  are  scarcely  any  insects  in  which  the  colours  last  for 
so  short  a  time  after  death.  The  only  plan  for  preserving 
them  that  seems  at  all  feasible  is  that  which  was  employed  by 
the  late  Mr.  Waterton,  namely,  taking  the  insect  to  pieces, 
removing  the  interior,  painting  the  inside  of  the  empty  shell 
with  the  requisite  colours,  and  then  putting  the  pieces  to- 
gether again.  Still,  even  this  tedious  and  laborious  plan  does 
not  answer  with  the  comparatively  solid  thorax,  and,  as  many 
species  have  stripes  of  bright  scarlet,  yellow,  blue  or  green  on 
the  thorax,  the  process  is  evidently  an  imperfect  one.  The 
species  which  is  shown  in  the  Plate,  Libellula  depressa, 
keeps  its  colour  better  than  any  which  I  know,  but  then  its 
hues  are  never  at  any  time  brilliant.  Some  of  them  retain 
sufficient  colour  to  show  what  their  hues  have  been,  but  in  all 
cases  the  brilliancy  of  the  various  tints  passes  away  and  cannot 
be  renewed. 

We  will  now  take  in  detail  one  or  two  of  the  most  prominent 
species  as  examples  of  this  beautiful  family.  They  are  divided 
into  two  large  groups,  called  Libellulides  and  Agrionides.  The 
insects  of  these  groups  may  easily  be  distinguished  by  the 
shape  of  the  head,  which  in  the  Libellulides  is  rounded,  and  in 
the  AgTionides  is  more  cylindrical  and  set  cross-wise  to  the 
body,  something  like  that  of  the  hammer-headed  shark.  So 
strongly  is  this  mode  of  structure  defined  in  some  of  the 
species,  that  without  their  wings  they  bear  no  little  resem- 
blance to  croquet-mallets.  We  will  take  two  examples  of  each 
group. 

On  Woodcut  XXVII.  Fig.  2  is  represented  one  of  our  finest 

T  2 


276 


INSECTS  AT  HOME. 


Dragon-flies,  known  to  entomologists  as  Cordulegaster  annu- 
latus.  In  tliis  genus  the  ocelli  are  set  in  a  row,  the  eyes 
toward  each  other  above ;  the  lower  or  anal  angles  of  the  lever 
wings  are  boldly  angulated,  and  the  abdomen  is  club-shaped. ' 
Reference  is  made  to  this  peculiarity  in  the  generic  name 
Cordulegaster,  which  is  composed  of  two  Greek  words,  the 
former  signifying  a  club,  and  the  other  the  belly.     The  insect 

XXVII. 


1.  PhlKothrips  coriacea.      2.  Cordulegaster  anniilatus.      3.  Eaphidia  ophiopsis.      i.  Chrysopa 
Tulgaris.        5.  Osmylus  chrysops.        a.  Eggs  of  Chrysopa. 


attains  a  very  great  size,  being  sometimes  even  larger  than 
the  illustration,  and  is  veiy  handsome  in  point  of  colour,  the 
whole  body  and  thorax  being  marked  with  bold  bands  and 
stripes  of  rich  golden-yellow.  A  specimen  in  my  collection 
has  retained  the  yellow  marks  of  the  thorax  in  a  wondeTfully 
perfect  manner,  but  those  of  the  abdomen  have  almost  wholly 
perished. 


DEMOISELLE  DRAGON-FLY.  277 

Our  next  species  is  that  which  is  represented  on  Plate  VIII. 
Fig.  3.  Its  name  is  Libellula  depressa,  and  it  is  generally 
accepted  as  the  typical  species  of  the  family.  In  the  insects  of 
this  genus  the  ocelli  are  set  in  a  triangle,  the  body  is  mostly 
broad  and  flattened,  and  the  anal  angle  of  the  lower  wings  is 
rounded.  The  present  species  is  not  so  handsome  in  point  of 
colour  as  the  preceding,  but  is  yet  adorned  with  a  delicate 
blueish  tint,  looking  in  life  very  much  as  if  the  body  had  been 
first  painted  blue,  and  then  dusted  very  finely  with  pearl- 
powder.  The  upper  part  of  the  thorax  is  yellow.  The  dark 
spots  at  the  bases  of  both  pairs  of  wings  are  deep  rich  chestnut 
brown. 

This  is  a  wonderfully  active  insect,  and,  probably  on  account 
of  its  short  body,  it  has  a  way  of  darting  boldly  among  the 
branches  of  trees  and  shrubs  in  order  to  chase  its  prey.  When 
thus  engaged,  and  with  prey  in  sight,  it  becomes  so  much 
engaged  in  pursuit  that  it  can  be  easily  captured  in  the  net, 
though  at  other  times  it  is  very  wary,  and  will  seldom  permit 
the  net  to  approach  within  striking  distance.  The  larva  of  this 
insect  is  shown  at  Fig.  4  at  the  bottom  of  the  page,  and  at 
Fig.  3a  is  represented  the  escape  of  the  perfect  insect  from  the 
pupal  skin. 

Next  come  the  Agrionides,  two  of  which  are  shown  on  the 
same  page.  At  Fig.  5  is  shown  the  beautiful  Demoiselle 
Dragon-fly  {Galojpteryx  virgo).  In  the  insects  of  this  genus  there 
is  no  '  stigma,'  or  dark  spot  on  the  outer  edge  of  the  wings. 
This  species  is  remarkable  for  the  very  great  difference  in  colour 
between  the  sexes.  The  females,  one  of  which  is  here  figured, 
are  totally  green,  both  wings  and  body,  whereas  the  males  are 
deep-blue,  with  black  patches  on  the  wings.  In  some  places 
these  insects  absolutely  swarm,  and  about  Oxford  they  may 
be  found  in  the  greatest  profusion,  hovering  over  the  many 
streams  and  ditches  which  intersect  the  country,  and  givino- 
almost  a  tropical  beauty  to  the  scene,  as  they  flit  about  with 
the  sunshine  glittering  on  their  richly-tinted  bodies  and 
wings. 

An  example  of  the  typical  genus  Agrion  minium  is  given 
on  Plate  VIII.  Fig.  6.  There  is  no  difficulty  in  distinguishing 
the   members   of  this   genus   from   other   Dragon-flies.     The 


278  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

'  stigma '  is  not  only  existent  on  both  pairs  of  wings,  but  it  is 
boldly  rhomboidal  in  shape,  the  angles  sloping  inwards. 

It  does  not  look  very  conspicuous,  and  this  is  exactly  its 
character.  The  Agrions  are  so  slender  and  delicate  that  on  a 
bright  summer  day  they  scarcely  look  like  insects,  but  appear 
more  like  streaks  of  coloured  light  wafted  here  and  there 
without  any  settled  purpose.  The  eye  soon  learns  to  distin- 
guish their  forms,  but  there  is  really  something  so  delightfully 
fairy-like  about  them  as  they  come  and  go,  apparently  by 
magic,  that  the  disillusioning  is  really  matter  of  regret.  They 
are  of  various  colours,  among  which  red  and  blue  predominate. 
The  present  species  is  vermilion-red,  from  which  it  derives  its 
specific  title  of  minium,  and  on  the  thorax  are  streaks  of 
yellow  as  well  as  of  red.  The  red  colour  forms  a  conspicuous 
patch  on  the  end  of  each  joint  of  the  abdomen. 

With  very  great  regret  I  must  leave  these  beautiful  and 
interesting  insects,  and  proceed  to  another  family,  which  are 
not  at  all  beautiful,  and,  though  interesting  in  their  way, 
cannot  be  compared  in  that  respect  to  the  Dragon-flies.  These 
are  the  Eaphidiidse,  a  family  of  insects  formed  after  a  very 
curious  fashion,  the  prothorax  being  lengthened  into  a  pro- 
longed neck,  and  the  head  being  rather  broad  and  much 
flattened.  The  females  are  furnished  with  a  long  and  slightly 
curved  ovipositor,  consisting  of  two  blades.  The  wings  are  of 
moderate  dimensions,  and  nearly  equal  in  point  of  size,  and 
they  are  very  strongly  veined. 

Owing  to  the  long  neck-like  prothorax,  the  insects  are  able 
to  twist  their  heads  about  in  various  directions,  from  which 
habit  they  have  received  the  popular  name  of  Snake-flies. 
They  are  predaceous  in  their  habits,  and  may  mostly  be  seen  on 
or  near  the  banks  of  ponds  and  small  streams,  where  they  can 
find  their  prey.  They  are  not  at  ^11  handsome  in  point  of 
colour,  their  hues  being  confined  to  greyish -brown,  mottled 
with  darker  brown  or  black.  One  of  the  largest  British  species, 
Rhaphidia  ophiopsis,  is  shown  on  Woodcut  XXVII. 

The  larva  of  this  insect  is  predaceous,  feeding  upon  small 
insects.  It  is  long  and  narrow,  and  even  in  the  larval  form 
shows  the  elongated  prothorax  which  is  so  characteristic  of  the 
perfect  insect.     Mr.  Westwood,  who   had  this   creature  alive, 


LACEWING-FLY.  279 

states  that  '  it  creeps  but  slowly,  but  gives  to  its  body  violent 
jerking  motions  in  every  direction,  somewhat  like  those  of  a 
serpent.'  In  the  pupal  state,  the  wings  are  pressed  to  the  body 
in  such  a  way  that  they  cover  the  hind  pair  of  legs.  These 
larvoe  may  be  found  under  the  bark  of  trees. 

The  name  Raphidla  is  formed  from  a  Greek  word  signifying 
a  needle,  and  is  given  to  these  insects  on  account  of  the  great 
elongation  of  the  prothorax.  The  specific  name  ophiopsis  is 
also  from  the  Grreek,  and  signifies  '  snake-eyed.'  The  females 
of  this  group  have  a  long  and  slightly  curved  ovipositor,  formed 
of  two  plates. 

On  Woodcut  XXVII.  Fig.  4  is  shown  one  of  our  most 
beautiful  British  insects.  This  is  the  Lacewing-fly  {Chrysopa 
vulgaris),  a  representative  of  the  family  Hemerobiidas.  The 
wings  of  this  family  are  large  and  broad,  and  pressed  against 
the  sides  of  the  body  when  at  rest :  the  antennae  are  long, 
delicate,  and  many  jointed;  and  the  head  is  small,  with  two 
very  prominent  and  rounded  eyes.  The  tarsi  have  five  joints. 
The  form  of  this  insect  is  very  accurately  given,  though  it  is 
impossible  with  the  simple  black  and  white  of  a  wood  en- 
graving to  do  justice  to  the  wonderful  and  delicate  beauty  of 
the  insect,  about  which  is  not  one  particle  either  of  black  or 
white.  Its  body,  head,  and  tliorax  are  leaf-green,  and  its  wings 
are  wide,  thin,  gauzy,  and  glossed  with  changing  hues  of  green 
and  pink,  according  to  the  angle  at  which  the  light  falls  on 
them. 

The  chief  beauty  of  the  insect  lies,  however,  in  its  eyes, 
which,  without  the  aid  of  a  magnifying  glass,  look  like  two 
tiny  beads  of  burnished  gold,  and  have  earned  for  the  insect 
the  popular  name  of  Gtolden-eye,  of  which  the  Grreek  word 
Chrysopa  is  but  a  translation.  But  if  the  insect  be  placed 
under  the  microscope,  and  a  brilliant  light  be  directed  on  the 
eyes,  a  wonderful  change  takes  place.  They  are  very  convex 
in  form,  and  the  hexagonal  facets  are  marked  with  extreme 
boldness,  considering  the  small  size  of  the  organ.  They  are  so 
clearly  defined,  indeed,  that  even  with  a  common  pocket 
magnifier  of  low  power  they  can  be  easily  distinguished. 

Were  the  eye  to  be  simple  brown  or  even  black  it  would  be  a 
beautiful  object,  in  consequence  of  these  hexagonal  lenses,  but 


280  '  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

over  the  whole  surface  of  the  compound  eye  plays  a  brilliant 
combination  of  colour.  Every  separate  hexagon  looks  like  a 
framework  of  burnished  gold,  changing  with  the  shifting  light 
into  various  hues  of  rich  green  and  carmine.  In  fact,  the 
whole  eye  looks  very  much  like  a  hemispherical  brooch,  entirely 
covered  with  emeralds  and  rubies. 

It  is  rather  hard  on  the  insect  to  expose  it  to  this  strong 
light,  which  is  needed  to  bring  out  its  beauties,  for  it  is  a  lover 
of  darkness,  and  only  comes  out  after  sunset,  when  it  may  be 
observed  fluttering  with  apparently  aimless  flight  in  the  air. 
But  it  is  impossible  to  see  the  full  splendour  of  this  magnifi- 
cent object  without  exposing  the  insect  to  some  inconvenience. 
A  dead  specimen  is  useless,  for  the  colour  departs  alike  from 
body  and  eye.  As  to  the  pale-green  of  the  body,  it  is  the  most 
fugitive  colour  that  an  insect  can  possess,  while  the  more 
gorgeous  hues  of  the  eye  vanish  soon  after  the  life  departs,  and 
very  little  is  left  of  their  once  magnificent  beauty.  Would  that 
some  method  could  be  discovered  of  preserving  the  too  fugitive 
tints  of  this  lovely  insect.  There  is  a  specimen  now  before  me 
which  has  only  been  dead  some  forty-eight  hours,  and  already 
the  tender  green  of  its  body  is  fading,  and  the  fiery  splendour 
of  its  eyes  is  quenched.  Lovely  as  is  the  insect  to  the  eye,  it 
can  offend  another  sense  most  grievously,  for  it  possesses  a 
peculiarly  evil  odour,  which  attaches  itself  strongly  to  the 
finger  that  crushes  it,  and  cannot  be  removed  without  many 
washings. 

The  Lacewing-fly  is  allied  to  the  Ant-lions,  of  which  we  have 
no  genuine  representative  in  England.  When  in  the  larval 
state  it  is  very  predaceous,  as  is  betokened  by  its  large  and 
curved  mandibles.  It  feeds  mostly  on  aphides,  of  which  it 
devours  vast  numbers,  draining  them  of  their  juices,  and  then 
covering  itself  with  the  emptied  bodies  of  its  victims,  so  as  to 
render  itself  scarcely  distinguishable  from  the  lichens  among 
which  it  mostly  lives.  The  neck  of  the  larva  is  very  flexible, 
so  that  it  can  dart  its  head  in  any  direction  in  order  to  seize 
its  prey.  It  can  eat  two  large  aphides  in  one  minute,  and  is  so 
voracious  that  if  two  Lacewing  larvte  meet  each  other  they  are 
sure  to  fight,  and  the  conqueror  is  equally  sure  to  eat  the 
vanquished  combatant.  These  larvae  are  quick  in  their  growth, 
and  do  not  require  much  more  than  a  fortnight  before  they 


EGGS  OF  THE  LACEWJNG-FLY.  281 

pass  into  the  pupal  state,  provided  only  that  they  can  find  an 
abundant  supply  of  aphides  on  which  to  feed.  When  full  fed 
the  larva  spins  a  cocoon,  in  which  it  passes  into  the  pupal  and 
perfect  stages.  Like  the  Ant-lion,  to  which  it  is  allied,  it 
packs  itself  up  in  a  wonderfully  small  compass,  for  the  cocoon 
is  only  as  large  as  a  sweet  pea,  and  very  much  of  the  same 
shape. 

The  eggs  of  the  Lacewing-fly  are  quite  as  remarkable  as  the 
cocoon.  They  are  generally  deposited  on  leaves,  but,  instead 
of  being  laid  directly  on  the  leaf,  every  egg  is  fixed  to  the  end 
of  a  slender  footstalk  about  half  an  inch  in  length.  This  foot- 
stalk is  formed  from  a  viscous  matter  secreted  by  the  female, 
and  is  delicately  white  and  translucent.  Mr.  A.  G.  Butler,  of 
the  British  Museum,  told  me  that  he  has  kept  Lacewing-flies, 
and  often  seen  them  lay  their  eggs.  The  end  of  the  abdomen 
is  first  pressed  against  the  leaf,  and  a  tiny  drop  of  the  viscous 
matter  deposited.  The  abdomen  is  then  raised  quickly,  so  as 
to  draw  out  a  thread,  which  becomes  stiff  and  hard  almost  as 
soon  as  it  comes  into  contact  with  the  air.  Then  the  insect 
pauses  a  little,  and  rapidly  places  an  egg  on  the  end  of  the 
thread,  fixing  it  there  with  another  tiny  drop  of  the  secretion. 
The  eggs  are  always  laid  in  groups,  one  of  which  is  shown  on 
Woodcut  XXVII.  Fig.  a.  Some  specimens  in  my  own  col- 
lection are  laid  along  a  lilac  twig,  and  in  all  of  them  the 
remains  of  the  viscous  drops  are  apparent  in  the  form  of  a  partly 
conical  footstalk,  much  resembling  in  shape  and  translucency  the 
foot  and  stem  of  a  wine-glass.  The  eggs  themselves  are  pure 
white,  and,  when  viewed  through  a  microscope,  have  something 
of  a  papery  aspect.  They  bear  a  curious  resemblance  to  the 
capsules  of  certain  mosses,  and  indeed  have  been  described 
and  figured  in  books  as  specimens  of  British  moss. 

Another  member  of  the  same  family  is  shown  on  Woodcut 
XXVII.  Fig.  5.  This  is  called  scientifically  Osmylus  chrysops, 
but  I  am  not  aware  whether  it  possesses  any  popular  name. 
This  genus  can  at  once  be  distinguished  from  Chrysopa  by 
looking  at  the  front  of  the  head,  in  which  there  are  three 
ocelli  or  simple  eyes,  set  in  a  triangle  on  the  forehead,  whereas 
there  are  no  ocelli  in  Chrysoi^a. 

This  is   the    largest   British   example  of  the    family,  and, 


282  INSECTS   AT   HOME. 

though  not  so  eminently  beautiful  as  the  preceding  insect,  is  yet 
a  pretty  creature.  The  wings  are  translucent,  with  a  glossy, 
iridescent  sheen,  very  much  resembling  the  surface  of  the 
varnished  skeleton  leaves  on  which  the  Chinese  artists  paint 
such  exquisite  little  pictures.  The  spots  with  wliich  they  are 
variegated  are  pale  brown.  The  insect  is  tolerably  common, 
and  at  Oxford  is  plentiful  on  the  branches  of  oaks.  The  pupa 
is  to  be  found  in  the  moist  earth  of  ditch  banks. 

Befobe  passing  to  the  next  order,  it  is  necessary  to  say 
a  few  words  respecting  the  Scorpion-fly,  or  Panorpidoe,  which 
form  a  very  marked  family  of  their  own. 

They  derive  their  popular  name  from  the  remarkable  con- 
formation of  the  abdomen,  the  joints  of  which  are  almost 
exactly  like  those  of  a  Scorpion,  and  in  the  typical  insect,  the 
common  Scokpion-fly  {Panorpa  communis),  are  terminated, 
in  the  male,  by  a  pair  of  small  forceps,  sufficiently  strong  to 
make  themselves  felt  on  the  skin  of  the  human  hand.  When 
the  insect  is  handled,  it  brandishes  its  abdomen  about  in  so 
menacing  a  fashion  that  I  have  often  seen  its  captors  hastily 
loosen  their  hold,  thinking  that  it  really  must  possess  the 
power  of  mischief  which  it  so  well  imitates.  The  pincers  are 
formed  by  a  development  of  the  eighth  segment  of  the  abdomen. 
The  insect  is  a  very  common  one,  and  can  be  taken  by  beating 
hedges  and  underwood. 

There  are  only  two  British  genera  of  Panorpidse — one  to 
which  the  common  Scorpion-fly  belongs,  and  which  contains 
five  species  ;  and  the  other,  named  Boreus,  of  which  a  single 
species  is  known,  Boreus  hyemalis. 

This  is  a  most  singular  being.  It  is  a  very  tiny  insect,  and, 
with  its  long  legs  and  peculiarly  shaped  body,  bears  a  great 
resemblance  to  a  larval  grasshopper.  The  form  of  the  head, 
however,  is  enough  to  show  that  it  really  belongs  to  the 
Panorpidse.  In  the  male,  the  wings  are  very  small,  useless 
for  flight,  and  project  from  the  back  something  like  Mr.  Punch's 
hunap.  In  the  female,  the  wings  are  entirely  undeveloped, 
and  the  body  is  terminated  by  a  long  ovipositor,  very  curiously 
constructed.  There  is  no  direct  passage  or  '  oviduct,'  so  that 
the  eggs  must  first  be  deposited,  and  then  picked  up  between 


THE   SCORPION-FLY.  283 

the  blades  of  the  ovipositor,  which  open  vertically,  and  not 
laterally,  like  those  of  the  Orthoptera. 

This  is  not  a  common  insect,  and,  as  if  to  add  to  its 
eccentricity,  it  chooses  the  middle  of  winter  for  its  appearance 
in  the  perfect  state.  Hence  its  scientific  name  of  Boreus 
hyemalis— the  former  word  signifying  the  north  wind,  and  the 
other  wintry.     The  males  are  rarer  than  the  females. 


TEICHOPTEEA. 


TKICHOPTEEA. 


CHAPTEE   I. 

There  has  been  much  discussion  respecting  the  insects  which 
now  come  before  our  notice,  some  entomologists  thinking  that 
they  ought  to  belong  to  the  Neuroptera,  but  the  majority 
deciding  that  they  really  form  an  order  of  their  own,  which 
has  been  called  by  the  name  of  Trichoptera,  on  account  of  the 
structure  of  the  wings.  They  are  popularly  known  as  Caddis- 
Fi.iES,  sometimes  abbreviated  into  '  Cads,'  Straw-worms,  Pipers, 
Cockspurs,  Cod-baits,  Grannunis,  &c. ;  and,  both  in  the  perfect 
and  larval  conditions,  are  very  familiar  to  anglers. 

In  this  order  the  wings  are  four  in  number,  the  first  pair 
generally  covered  profusely  with  hair,  and  the  second  pair 
large,  and  folded  when  at  rest.  The  tibise  are  furnished 
with  long  spurs,  in  some  species  running  to  a  wonderful  length 
in  the  second  and  third  pair  of  legs.  The  mouth,  like  that  of 
the  May-fly,  is  quite  undeveloped,  so  that  when  the  insects 
have  attained  their  perfect  state  they  can  take  no  nourish- 
ment. 

The  larva  is  aquatic,  and  furnished  with  six  feet.  It  lives 
in  cases  more  or  less  cylindrical,  constructed  by  itself  from 
various  materials,  such  as  leaves,  sticks,  bits  of  grass,  stones, 
sand,  shells,  and  even  the  opercula  of  water-snails.  I  have 
taken  within  the  distance  of  a  few  yards  several  cases  thus 
constructed  ;  and  I  once  took  a  case,  the  principal  portion  of 
which  was  a  chrysalis  of  a  moth — I  believe  the  common 
Hop-dog — which  had  fallen  into  the  water.  The  larva  retains 
its  position  by  means  of  two  hooked  appendages  at  the  end  of 
the  tail. 

Having  now  glanced  at  the  leading  characteristics  of  the 


288  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

order,  we  will  proceed  tj  a  more  detailed  examination,  and 
take  for  our  type  the  GtReat  Caddis-fly  (Phryganea  grandis), 
which  is  drawn  on  Plate  VIII.  Fig.  7,  and  can  be  easily 
recognised  from  the  figure. 

In  this  genus  the  spurs  of  the  tibise  are  moderately 
developed,  and  the  wings  are  very  heavy.  The  palpi  of  the 
male  have  only  four  joints,  whereas  those  of  the  female  have 
five.  The  wings  are  very  thickly  covered  with  hair,  so  thickly 
indeed  that,  under  the  microscope,  they  look  as  if  they  were 
clothed  with  fur.  The  hairs  are  comparatively  pale  and  small 
on  the  membrane  of  the  wing,  but  dark,  stout,  and  bristle- 
like upon  the  nervures.  The  body  is  similarly  furred,  and 
even  the  antennae  are  so  densely  haired  that  the  divisions  of 
the  joints  are  quite  hidden.  It  is  on  account  of  this  profuse 
growth  of  hair  that  the  name  Trichoptera,  or  Hairy-wings, 
has  been  given  to  this  order  of  insect. 

There  is  no  particular  beauty  of  colour  to  be  found  in  any 
of  the  Trichoptera,  the  hues  being  in  all  the  species  nothing 
miore  than  various  shades  of  brown,  the  difference  in  colour 
being  produced  in  most  species  by  the  greater  or  less  admixture 
of  yellow. 

The  habits  of  these  insects  are  very  interesting.  Unlike  the 
Lace  wing-fly,  they  are  quick  on  foot,  and  can  run  with  a 
curious  celerity,  being  even  able  to  miake  their  way  upon  the 
surface  of  the  water,  over  which  they  scuttle  quickly,  using 
much  exertion,  and  the  edges  of  their  closed  lower  wings 
leaving  a  long  track  behind  them.  They  can  even  travel 
under  water.  The  females  are  in  the  habit  of  crawling 
down  the  stems  of  aquatic  plants  nearly  a  foot  below  the 
surface,  in  order  to  deposit  their  eggs.  If  the  plant  to  which 
they  are  clinging  be  smartly  tapped,  they  will  at  once  leave  it 
and  swim  under  water  to  another  submerged  plant.  This 
habit  of  theirs  often  causes  them  to  fall  victims  to  various  fish, 
which  towards  midsummer  find  an  unfailing  supply  of  such 
food. 

As  in  the  case  with  the  Stone-flies,  which  have  already  been 
described,  the  female  Caddis-fly  collects  her  eggs  and  carries 
them  about  at  the  extremity  of  the  body.  The  egg-cluster  is 
double,  green  in  colour,  and  the  eggs  are  held  together  by  a 
gelatinous  substance,  in  which  they  are  enveloped.     By  means 


-  CADDIS-FLIES.  289 

of  this  o-elatinous  secretion,  which  has  tlie  capacity  of  resisting 
water,  the  egg-cluster  is  affixed  to  the  stem  of  some  subaquatic 
pkmt,  and  there  left  to  be  hatched  in  due  time.  The  duties  of 
the  mother  Caddis-fly  being  then  over,  she  perishes,  either  by 
natural  decay,  or  by  means  of  some  fish,  wliich  doubtlessly 
thinks  itself  deceived  in  having  been  induced  to  eat  a  mere 
sliell  of  an  insect,  as  is  the  Caddis  after  she  has  deposited  her  eggs. 

When  the  little  larvae  emerge  from  the  egg,  they  set  to 
work  in  forming  for  themselves  the  remarkable  habitations  in 
which  they  pass  the  whole  of  their  larval  and  pupal  existence. 
Being  long,  soft-bodied  creatures,  with  only  the  head  and  neck 
defended  by  a  horny  covering,  they  would  fall  victims  to 
various  predacious  inhabitants  of  the  water,  if  they  possessed 
not  the  power  of  forming  for  themselves  some  sort  of  pro- 
tection. Following  the  general  rule  under  such  circumstances, 
the  protection  in  question  assumes  the  shape  of  a  case  more  or 
less  cylindrical,  and  is  capable  of  being  enlarged  in  proportion 
to  the  growth  of  the  inhabitant. 

As  has  been  already  mentioned,  these  habitations  are  made 
of  various  materials,  and  are  all  more  or  less  cylindrical  as  far 
as  regards  their  interior,  though  in  many  instances  their 
exterior  departs  as  far  as  possible  from  that  shape. 

For  example,  one  or  two  of  the  species  always  select  dehd 
leaves,  which  they  fit  together,  face  to  face,  so  that  scarcely 
anyone  on  seeing  them  would  imagine  that  between  the  leaves 
was  the  tubular  residence  of  a  Caddis-worm.  Sometimes,  as  in 
Phin/ganea  rhovibica,  short  pieces  of  grass  stems  are  used,  which 
are  cut  into  tolerably  equal  lengths,  and  fixed  across  each  other 
so  as  to  leave  a  hollow  in  their  centre.  Sometimes,  as  in 
Phin/ganea  lunaris,  the  pieces  of  grass  are  much"  longer,  and 
laid  side  by  side.  Some  species,  such,  for  example,  as  Phry- 
ganea  fusca,  use  the  shells  of  various  aquatic  molluscs,  which 
they  fasten  together  without  the  slightest  reference  to  the 
feelings  of  the  inhabitants,  some  of  which  may  be  seen  vainly 
trying  to  progress  in  one  direction,  while  the  Caddis-worm  is 
crawling  in  another.  Examples  of  these  two  last-mentioned 
forms  may  be  seen  in  Plate  VIII.  Fig.  8.  Some  species,  such 
as  Serieostoma  tnultiguttatum,  employ  particles  of  sand, 
tiny  stones,  and  similar  materials,  forming  them  into  a  conical 
case  with  a  slight  curve,  very  much  resembling  in  shape  an 

u 


290  INSECTS   AT   HOME. 

ordinary  cow's  horn.  In  fact,  the  materials,  and  consequently 
the  forms,  of  these  remarkable  habitations  are  so  various  that 
it  is  imijossible  to  do  more  than  briefly  describe  the  leading 
varieties. 

All  the  habitations  which  have  just  been  mentioned  are 
movable,  and  are  carried  about  by  the  larva,  just  as  the  Hermit 
Crab  carries  its  shell-house  with  it.  There  are,  however. 
Caddis-cases  which  are  fixed  to  stones,  and  which  cannot  be 
moved.  Such,  for  example,  are  the  habitations  of  Hydro- 
psyche  senex  and  Hydropsyche  Tnaculicornis,  the  former  of 
which  makes  a  house  that  is  shaped  very  much  like  a  leech 
when  at  rest,  and  is  fixed  by  the  whole  of  its  under  side  to  the 
stone.  The  habitation  of  the  latter,  however,  is  quite  worm- 
like in  shape,  and  often  considerably  curved. 

In  consequence  of  the  differing  form  of  these  habitations,  it 
follows  that  there  must  be  a  corresponding  difference  in  the 
structure  of  the  inhabitants.  All  the  Caddis  larvae  hold  them- 
selves within  their  cases  by  means  of  claspers  at  the  end  of  the 
body,  and  very  firmly  they  hold,  as  anyone  can  tell  who  has 
ejected  them  from  their  habitations.  But  these  claspers  are 
modified  in  their  construction  according  to  the  kind  of  habita- 
tion. Those  larvae  which  dwell  in  movable  tubes  never  leave 
them,  but  crawl  at  liberty  from  one  spot  to  another  in  search  of 
food.  They  have  really  wonderful  powers  of  adhesion,  and  can 
climb  smooth  and  hard  surfaces  with  the  greatest  ease.  There 
are  now  before  me  some  larvae  of  Sericostoma  which  have 
crawled  up  the  sides  of  a  glass  vessel,  one  or  two  of  them 
having  even  raised  themselves  partially  above  the  surface  of  the 
water.  In  all  these  species  the  claspers  are  short,  so  that  they 
only  permit  the  head  and  leg-bearing  segments  of  the  body  to 
protrude  beyond  the  mouth  of  the  tube.  But  in  the  species 
which  live  in  fixed  tubes  the  claspers  are  placed  at  the  ends  of 
two  long  footstalks,  so  that  the  larva  can  thrust  itself  far  out  of 
its  tube,  and  thus  obtain  a  wide  range  wherein  to  procure  food. 
Some  of  these  creatures  feed  upon  small  aquatic  larvae,  but  the 
food  of  the  greater  part  seems  to  be  mostly  vegetable,  though 
all  the  species  appear  to  vary  their  diet  occasionally  with 
animal  substances. 

Whatever  may  be  the  species,  and  whatever  the  material  of 
their  cases,  the  various  portions  of  which  the  habitations  are 


LARVA  OF  THE  CADDIS-FLY.  291 

composed  are  always  fastened  very  strongly  together  with  a  glu- 
tinous cement  which  has  the  property  of  hardening  under 
water.  If  one  of  these  cases^  be  pulled  asunder,  and  the 
severed  surfaces  submitted  to  the  microscope,  the  cement  will 
be  seen  to  have  been  torn  into  short,  white  threads,  very  much 
like  the  '  byssus '  of  certain  bivalves,  such  as  the  common 
mussel  of  oui-  sea-coasts. 

When  the  larva  is  full-fed,  and  is  about  to  pass  into  the 
quiescent  and  feeble  state  of  pupa,  it  fortifies  its  habitation  by 
spinning  across  each  end  a  network  of  a  very  peculiar  construc- 
tion. There  are  many  species  of  Caddis-flies,  and  I  do  not 
think  that  in  any  two  species  the  network  is  exactly  the  same. 
In  all  it  is  very  stiff  and  strong,  but  there  is  invariably  a  dis- 
tinct pattern  on  which  the  meshes  are  arranged,  and  which 
can  only  be  made  out  by  the  use  of  a  tolerably  powerful  mag- 
nifier. 

After  remaining  within  the  fortified  case  for  a  time,  which 
varies  according  to  the  species,  the  pupa  makes  its  way  out  of 
the  case,  and,  when  fairly  in  the  open  air,  shakes  off  its  pupal 
skin  and  assumes  its  perfect  form.  There  is  some  slight  dif- 
ference as  to  the  mode  of  performing  this  feat,  the  larger 
species  acting  like  the  Dragon-flies,  and  crawling  up  the  stems 
of  aquatic  plants,  while  the  smaller  are  content  to  make  use  of 
their  cast  skins  as  rafts,  on  which  they  can  stand  while  they 
shake  out  their  newly-acquired  wings  to  dry  in  the  air. 

Having  now  traced  the  life  of  the  Caddis-fly  from  the  egg 
to  the  perfect  insect,  and  taken  one  species  as  the  type*  we 
will  briefly  examine  one  or  two  other  species  as  examples  of 
this  remarkable,  though  small  order. 

The  first  of  these  is  the  Lesser  Caddis-fly  {Phryganea 
minor),  a  figure  of  which  is  given  on  Woodcut  XXVI.  Fig.  3. 
This,  though  smaller  than  the  Grreat  Caddis-fly,  is  really  a 
handsomer  insect,  being  much  more  variegated  than  its  larger 
relative.  The  colour  of  the  body  is  yellowish-brown,  and  the 
back  of  the  head  and  thorax  are  covered  with  yellowish  down. 
The  upper  wings  are  densely  clothed  with  hair,  and  are  pale 
brown,  variegated  with  a  rich  dark  brown,  which  near  the 
end  of  the  wing  forms  a  band  stretching  nearly  across  it,  in  a 
slightly   diagonal    direction.     The   lower   wings   are   shining 

V  2 


292  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

and  iridescent,  and  the  antennae  are  pale  brown  barred  with 
the  same  dark  hue  as  that  which  ornaments  the  upper  wings. 

On  Woodcut  XXVI.  Fig.  2,  is  shown  an  insect  which  has  the 
popular  name  of  the  Elegant  Gteanncm  {Limnejjhilus  ele- 
gans).  In  the  genus  to  which  this  insect  belongs,  the  body  is 
rounded,  and  the  wings  are  narrow  and  rather  squared  at  the 
ends.  The  maxilla  and  its  palpus  is  shown  at  Fig.  h,  and  the 
labium  with  its  palpi  at  Fig.  a.  There  are  nearly  fifty  species 
of  this  large  genus,  all  of  which  have  a  very  moth-like  appear- 
ance, specially  when  seen  on  the  wing  or  when  '  set '  in  a 
cabinet. 

When  alive,  the  body  of  this  species  has  a  slight  yellowish 
tinge,  the  upper  part  being  blackish,  and  the  segments  being 
edged  with  whitish  grey.  The  wings  are  very  shining,  and  the 
upper  pair  are  pale  brown  with  dark  nerviu'es,  and  one  or  two 
dark  spots  and  streaks.  The  lower  pair  are  pearly  in  hue,  and 
rather  iridescent  when  the  light  falls  on  them  in  different 
angles. 

On  the  same  Woodcut,  Fig.  4,  is  shown  another  of  these  curious 
insects,  named  scientifically  LeptoceriLS  ochraceus.  In  the 
insects  belonging  to  this  genus,  the  tibiae  of  the  hindmost 
pair  of  legs  have  two  spurs,  and  the  antennae  are  exceedingly 
long  and  slender.  The  name  Leptocei^s  alludes  to  this  latter 
characteristic.  It  is  formed  from  the  Grreek  words,  sigTiifying 
'  slender-horned.'  In  the  illustration,  the  antennae  are  of  the 
right  length,  but  are  too  thick,  especially  at  the  base.  These 
organs  are  in  reality  almost  as  slender  as  hairs,  and  even  when 
the  insect  has  been  set  and  dried,  the  long  and  delicate  an- 
tennae wave  about  with  every  breath  of  air,  and  give  to  the 
dead  insect  an  air  as  if  it  were  again  alive.  When  the  wings 
are  closed,  and  the  insect  is  sitting  on  a  leaf,  it  bears  a 
ciu'iously  close  resemblance  to  the  Long-horn  moths  which  will 
be  described  on  a  futm-e  page.  There  are  rather  more  than 
thirty  species  of  this  genus. 


HYMENOPTEEA. 


HYMENOPTEBA. 


CHAPTER  I. 

SA  W-FLIES. 

We  now  come  to  one  of  the  largest  and  most  important  orders 
of  insects,  namely  the  Hymenopteea,  an  order  which  com- 
prises the  insects  known  popularly  as  Saw-flies,  Gall-flies, 
Ichneumon-flies,  Ants,  Wasps,  and  Bees.  Those  insects  which 
are  known  as  White  Ants  or  Termites,  belong,  however,  to  a 
different  order,  namely  the  Neuroptera. 

The  characteristics  of  this  order  are  well  defined,  and  there 
is  no  difficulty  in  ascertaining,  almost  at  a  glance,  whether  an 
insect  belongs  to  the  Hymenoptera  or  not.  The  wings  are 
four  in  number,  the  second  pair  being  smaller  than  the  first 
pair,  and  having  fewer  veins.  They  are  without  hair  and 
membranous,  as  indeed  is  shown  by  the  name  Hymenoptera, 
which  is  formed  from  two  Greek  words,  the  one  signifying  a 
membrane,  and  the  other  a  wing.  When  at  rest,  the  wings 
are  separate,  but  when  the  insect  flies,  both  pairs  are  hitched 
together  by  a  series  of  little  hooks  which  run  along  the  upper 
edge  of  the  lower  pair,  so  that,  for  the  time,  the  insect  flies 
with  two  wings  instead  of  four.  These  hooks  are  beautifully 
constructed,  and  should  be  examined  with  a  microscope.  They 
will  be  found  well  developed  in  the  common  wasps  and  bees. 
On  Woodcut  XXVIII.  the  wings  of  a  hornet  are  shown  on  the 
left  side  as  they  appear  when  separated,  and  on  the  right  as 
they  are  when  united  by  the  hooks.  The  head  is  armed  with 
horny  jaws,  and  between  them  lies  a  fleshy  tongue  enclosed  in 
the  maxillse,  which  form  a  sort  of  sheath  to  it.  The  abdomen 
of  the  female  is  furnished  with  a  horny  ovipositor  formed  of 


296 


INSECTS   AT   HOME. 


ANATOMY  OF  A  HYMENOPTEROUS  INSECT.— THE  HORNET  (VESPA  CRABRO), 


1.  Head  and  parts  of  the  mouth.  a.  Lingua,  or  tongue.  6  6.  Labial  palpi.  cc.  Maxillary 
palpi.  rfd.  MaxillJE.  cf.  Mandibles.  //.Eyes.  gr  gr.  Toruli,  or  beds  of  the  base  of  the 
autennfe.  fi  h.  Ocelli,  or  simple  eyes ;  sometimes  called  Stemmata.  j.  Clypeus.  k.  La- 
brum.  1.  Epipharynx.  2.  Thorax.  a.  Mesothorax.  6  6.  Tegulre.  c.  Scutellum 
(/.  Prothorax.  e.  Postscutellum.  /.  Metathorax.  3.  Abdomen,  upper  surface.  4.  Ab 
domen,  profile.  5.  Head,  front  view.  a  a.  Antennse.  6  6.  Eyes.  cc.  Ocelli.  d.  Scu 
tellum.  e  e.  Mandibles.  6.  Thorax,  under  surface.  a.  Bed  of  cox»  of  pro-legs.  6.  Sternum, 
c.  Bed  of  coxae  of  intermediate  legs.        d.  Bed  of  coxae  of  posterior  legs.        e.  Bed  of  neck, 

7.  Anterior,  or  pro-legs.        a.  Tarsus.        6.  Tibia.        c.  Femur.         d.  Trochanter.        c.  Coxa 

8.  Middle,  or  intermediate  legs.  9.  Hinder,  or  posterior  legs.  10.  Eight  wings.  a.  Costal 
cell.  6.  Externo-medial  cell.  c.  Interno-mcdial  cell.  d.  Anal  cell.  e.  Marginal  ceU. 
/.  First  Submarginal  cell.  g.  Second  Discoidal  cell.  h.  Second  Submarginal  cell.  ;.  Third 
Submarginal  cell.  *.  Fourth  Submarginal  cell.  I.  First  Discoidal  cell.  m.  Third  Dis. 
coidal  cell.        n.  First  Apical  cell.        o.  Second  Apical  cell.        II.  Left  wings  separated. 


SAW-FLIES.  297 

several  pieces,  which  in  many  instances  is  modified  into  a 
poison-bearing  sting.  The  pupa  is  quiescent,  and  the  larva 
is  both  quiescent  and  without  feet,  except  in  one  group,  that  of 
the  Saw-flies. 

In  all  books  that  treat  scientifically  of  the  Hymenoptera,  a 
vast  amount  of  •technical  language  will  be  found.  Many  of  the 
words,  such  as  those  winch  express  the  general  divisions  of  the 
body,  the  parts  of  the  mouth,  the  anatomy  of  the  limbs,  &c., 
are  the  same  as  those  which  we  have  already  learned  when 
treating  of  Beetles.  Biit,  in  this  order  of  insects,  very  great 
stress  is  laid  upon  sundry  portions  of  organisation  which  are 
but  little  considered  in  the  Coleoptera,  and  therefore  I  have 
given  a  chart-drawing  of  a  hornet,  similar  to  that  of  the  Stag- 
beetle  on  page  9.  I  strongly  advise  the  young  entomologist 
to  take  a  hornet,  or  even  a  wasji,  and  make  out  all  the  parts 
by  means  of  this  diagram,  and  he  will  find  that  if  he  colours 
the  diagram  he  will  fix  it  more  firmly  in  his  memory.  The 
colouring  should  be  taken  from  the  insect  itself. 

According  to  INIr.  Westwood's  system,  the  Hymenoptera  are 
divided  into  two  great  sections,  namely,  the  Terebrantia,  or 
Borers,  and  the  Aculeata,  or  Sting-bearers.  We  will  proceed 
with  these  sections  in  order.  The  first  subsection  is  called 
Serrifera,  or  Saw-bearers,  in  which  the  abdomen  is  attached  to 
the  thorax  by  the  whole  of  its  diameter,  and  the  larvai  feed 
upon  vegetable  substances,  and  have  a  well-developed  mouth 
furnished  with  mandibles.  This  subsection  includes  the  whole 
of  the  Saw-flies  and  Gall-flies. 

We  will  begin  with  the  insects  which  are  so  well  known  as 
Saw-flies,  and  are  scientifically  termed  Tenthredinidse.  This 
word  is  a  very  old  one,  being  used  by  Aristotle  in  his  '  History 
of  Animals  '  to  signify  some  kind  of  bee  or  wasp.  It  is  formed 
from  a  Grreek  word  signifying  to  gnaw  or  nibble.  The  names 
Andrena,  Pemphredon,  &c.,  are  derived  from  the  same  source. 
In  these  insects,  the  wings  are  large,  with  many  '  complete ' 
cells,  i.e.  cells  closed  on  every  side  by  nervures,  and  having  a 
large  stigma  or  spot.  The  abdomen  has  no  footstalk,  and  is 
furnished  in  the  females  with  the  extraordinary  apparatus 
which  has  gained  for  the  group  of  Hymenoptera  the  popular 
and  appropriate  name  of  Saw-flies 


298  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

At  the  extremity  of  the  abdoiaen  and  on  its  under  surface 
are  placed  two  flat  horny  plates  set  side  by  side.  These  are 
the  saws,  and,  like  the  well-known  '  tenon-saw '  of  carpenters, 
have  one  edge  toothed,  and  the  other  strengthened  by  a  flat 
thick  plate.  On  examination  with  a  tolerably  powerful  lens, 
the  teeth  are  seen  to  be  most  elaborately  constructed.  Instead 
of  being  mere  simple  teeth,  like  those  of  a  saw,  each  tooth  is 
formed  of  a  cone  set  in  a  footstalk,  the  cone  being  deeply  cut 
into  eight  or  ten  deep  grooves,  having  a  sharp  edge  between 
each.  This  structure  is  wonderfully  adapted  to  prevent  the 
saw  from  clogging  with  the  green  wood  in  which  it  has  to  work, 
and  might  with  advantage  be  copied  by  our  tool-makers.  The 
toothing  of  the  saw  differs  in  the  various  species  of  Saw-fly, 
Ijut  the  form  which  has  been  described  is  found  in  some  of  the 
insects  with  which  our  list  commences. 

The  strengthened  backs  of  these  saws  are  received  into  grooves 
or  sheaths  in  which  they  slide  backwards  and  forwards,  and  they 
are  so  contrived  that  while  one  saw  is  being  thrust  forward, 
the  other  is  being  drawn  back.  There  is  not  the  least  difficulty 
in  getting  these  beautiful  instruments  under  the  microscope. 
They  are  of  course  best  seen  in  the  recent  specimen,  but  even 
after  the  insect  has  been  long  dead  and  dry,  the  saw  can  be 
detached  with  a  little  careful  manipulation.  The  object  of  the 
saw,  which  is  indeed  a  modification  of  the  ovipositor,  is  to  pre- 
pare a  resting-place  for  the  eggs.  By  alternately  working  the 
saws,  a  groove  is  rapidly  cut  in  a  twig,  or  a  leaf  rib,  and  an 
egg  is  then  passed  between  the  saws  and  deposited  in  the  groove, 
where  it  is  fixed  by  a  small  drop  of  liquid  secreted  by  the  insect. 
The  number  of  grooves  and  of  the  eggs  deposited  in  them 
varies  according  to  the  different  species  of  Saw-fly.  Even  if  the 
observer  should  fail  to  see  a  Saw-fly  in  the  act  of  depositing 
her  eggs,  he  can  always  see  the  grooves  and  the  eggs  in  them, 
by  carefully  examining  the  leaves  and  young  twigs  of  various 
trees.  The  common  currant  is  often  much  damaged  by  Saw- 
flies,  and  on  a  single  bush  there  will  be  scarcely  a  leaf  in 
which  the  grooves  cut  by  the  Saw-fly  cannot  be  found.  These 
grooves  are  made  on  the  under  side  of  the  leaf,  partly  because 
the.  nervures  are  thicker,  and  partly  because  the  eggs  are 
sheltered  from  the  rain. 

In  process  of  tiine  the  eggs  are  hatched,  and  from  them  are 


JjAKVm  of  the  saw-flies. 


299 


produced  larvae  which  very  much  resemble  those  of  moths. 
They  can,  however,  be  at  once  distinguished  from  them  by  the 
fact  that  they  have  more  legs  and  '  pro-legs,'  or  false  feet, 
than  the  true  caterpillars.  No  caterpillar  has  more  than 
sixteen  of  these  members,  whereas  the  larva  of  the  Saw-fly 
has  from  eighteen  to  twenty-two.     One  of  these  larvae,  that 


Tx^nr 


1    Hylotoma  roste.         2.  Croesus  septentrionalis.  3.  Athalia  spinarum.         4.  Allantiis 

scrophularia.        a.  Croesus  larva.        b.  Athalia  larva.         c.  Allantus  larva.        d.  Hylotoma, 
antenna.        e.  Croesus,  antenna.       /.  Athalia,  antenna.        g.  Allantus,  antenna. 

of  Cimbex  lutea,  is  shown  on  Plate  IX.  Fig.  3,  and  others  are 
seen  on  Woodcut  XXIX.  Figs,  a  h  and  c. 


Having  thus  rapidly  gone  through  the  chief  characteristics 
of  the  Saw-flies,  we  will  examine  them  somewhat  more  in 
detail. 

The  first  insect  on  our  list  is  Cimbex  lutea,  which  is  shown 
on  Plate  IX.  Fig.  1,  of  its  natural  size,  and  a  more  detailed 


300  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

drawing  is  given  on  Woodcut  XXX.  Fig.  1,  in  order  to  show 
the  characteristic  details  of  the  genus.  In  this  genus  the  club 
of  the  antennae  consist  of  two  joints  soldered  together,  and  the 
rest  of  the  organ  is  formed  of  five  joints.  The  spurs  are 
rather  short  and  blunt,  and  in  the  male  insect  the  tarsi  of  the 
fore-legs  are  spined  beneath.  There  are  about  eight  British 
species  of  Cimbex.  The  colour  of  the  present  species  is,  as  may 
be  inferred  from  its  name,  yellow,  and  all  inexperienced 
observers  might  easily  mistake  the  insect  for  a  wasp,  especially 
when  flying. 

The  larva  is  shown  both  in  Plate  IX.  Fig.  3,  and  in  Wood- 
cut XXX.  Fig.  a,  the  latter  figure  being  given  in  order  to 
show  its  structure.  It  has  in  all  twenty-two  feet  and  four 
legs,  and  the  body  is  covered  with  very  small  tubercles.  Just 
over  the  spiracles,  or  breathing  holes,  there  are  some  apertures^ 
through  which  the  larva  can  spirt  a  greenish  fluid  to  some 
little  distance.  It  ejects  the  fluid  when  it  is  alarmed,  but  the 
supply  is  limited,  and  each  successive  discharge  is  weaker  than 
its  predecessor.  Like  most  Saw-fly  larvae  its  colour  is  greenish 
grey.  Contrary  to  the  usual  practice  among  insects,  this  larva 
prefers  the  upper  side  of  the  leaf,  where  it  may  be  found  partly 
coiled  up,  with  its  tail  in  the  centre.  It  feeds  on  various  trees, 
such  as  the  elder,  the  birch,  and  the  beech,  but  Mr.  F.  Smith 
tells  me  that  he  has  generally  found  it  on  the  willow. 

In  process  of  time,  the  larva  attains  its  full  growth,  and  then 
sets  to  work  at  spinning  a  cocoon  in  which  it  can  undergo  its 
transformations.  The  cocoon  is  wonderfully  tough  and  leathery 
in  texture,  brown  in  colour,  and  is  rather  flufiy  on  the  outside. 
It  is  affixed  to  some  twig  of  the  tree  on  which  the  larva  fed, 
and  in  winter  time  is  very  conspicuous  owing  to  the  absence 
of  leaves.  One  of  these  dwellings  is  shown  on  Plate  IX.  Fig.  2. 
If  one  of  these  cocoons  be  carefully  opened  before  the  insect 
has  made  its  final  change,  the  pupa  can  be  seen  lying  quietly 
in  its  cell  like  a  child  in  a  cradle,  and  apparently  as  help- 
less. It  remains  for  a  considerable  time  in  the  cocoon,  and 
finally  makes  its  escape  at  one  end  of  its  dwelling. 

On  Plate  IX.  Fig.  5,  is  seen  a  very  fine  insect,  known 
scientifically  as  Trichiosoma  lucorum.  The  name  of  this 
genus  is  formed  from  two  Grreek  words,  signifying  Hairy- body, 


PLATE     IX. 
SAW-FLIES,    GALLFLIES,    AND    SIREX. 


1.  Cimbex  lutea. 

2.  Cimbex,  cocoon. 

3.  Cimbex,  larva. 

4.  Lyda  hortensis. 

5.  Trichiosonia  lucorum. 

6.  Cynips  Kollari. 

7.  Sirexjuvenc lis  (Male). 

.Plants  : — 

Oak.  Fir.  and  Hawthonu 


COCOONS   OF  SAW-FLIES. 


301 


and  is  given  to  the  insects  because  their  bodies  are  thickly 
covered  with  hair,  instead  of  being  nearly  naked  like  those  of 
the  preceding  genus.  The  whole  appearance  of  the  body  is  so 
bee-like  that  most  persons  who  see  the  insect  imagine  that  it 
belongs  to  the  bees  and  not  to  the  Saw-flies.     It  can,  however, 


/A/, 


1.  Cimbex  lutea.  2.  Tenthredo  zonatus. 
a.  Cimbex  larva.  6.  Lophyrus  larva.  c. 
e.  Do.  antenna,  female. 


3.   Cryptus  pallipes.         4.  Lophyrus  pini. 
Lophyrus,  cocoon.        d.    Do.  antenna,  male. 


be  distinguished  by  the  shape  of  the  antennae,  which  are  ter- 
minated by  round  knobs  composed  of  three  joints  fused  to- 
gether. The  rest  of  the  organ  is  composed  of  five  joints. 
The  colour  of  the  insect  is  dark  brown,  and  the  wings  are 
darkish,  with  a  smoky  streak  along  their  lower  edges. 

The  insect  is  common  upon  whitethorn,  and  may  be  seen  in  ail 
these  stages.  The  larva,  like  that  of  the  last-mentioned  Saw- 
fly,  prefers  the  upper  surface  of  leaves,  and  coils  itself  up  in  a 


302  INSECTS   AT   HOME. 

similar  fashion.  The  cocoons  are  not  easily  seen  as  long  as  the 
leaves  are  on  the  trees,  but  if  a  whitethorn  hedge  be  carefully 
examined  in  the  winter,  the  cocoons  of  the  Trichiosoma  will 
probably  be  found  in  tolerable  plenty.  The  twig  on  which 
they  are  fixed  should  be  cut  off,  and  the  cocoons  placed  in  a  box 
with  a  cover  of  wire  gauze  in  order  to  await  the  appearance  of 
the  perfect  insect,  which  takes  place  in  the  spring.  At  that 
time  of  year,  the  fly  is  not  at  all  uncommon,  and  may  be  cap- 
tured with  the  net  as  it  flats  about  the  hedges,  seeking  for  con- 
venient spots  wherein  to  deposit  its  eggs. 

I  well  remember  taking  some  of  these  Saw-flies  when  begin- 
ning my  entomological  career,  and,  not  having  access  to  books, 
being  entirely  puzzled  by  them.  At  first,  I  naturally  took 
them  for  bees,  but  could  not  understand  how  the  knobbed 
antennae  could  belong  to  a  bee.  Then,  the  creatures,  though 
they  were  females,  had  no  sting,  and  as  I  was  not  then  aware 
that  Saw-flies  of  such  magnitude  existed  in  this  country,  I  was 
naturally  puzzled.  Yet,  the  very  fact  of  this  bewilderment 
served  to  fix  the  creatures  so  firmly  in  my  mind  that,  even  at 
this  distance  of  time,  I  could  draw  from  memory  the  first 
Trichiosoma  that  I  ever  caught.  The  saws  of  this  insect  are 
well  worthy  of  examination,  as  they  possess  the  cone-tipped 
teeth  which  have  been  described  on  page  298. 

The  larvffi  can  be  taken  at  the  end  of  summer,  when  they 
are  nearly  full-fed,  and  as  they  are  very  large  and  conspicuous, 
there  is  little  difficulty  in  obtaining  them.  ' 

On  Woodcut  XXIX.  Fig.  1,  is  seen  a  figure  of  the  Eose 
Saw-fly,  called  scientifically  Hylotoma  rosoc.  The  name  Hylo- 
toma  is  formed  from  two  Grreek  words,  signifying  '  Wood- 
cutter,' and  is  therefore  a  very  appropriate  one. 

In  this  genus  the  marginal  cell  is  drawn  out  to  a  point,  and 
the  shape  of  the  antennse  differs  in  the  two  sexes.  Those  of 
the  male  are  nearly  straight  and  hairy,  while  those  of  the 
female  are  smooth  and  tend  to  a  club  towards  the  ends.  The 
antenna  of  the  male  is  shown  on  Woodcut  XXIX.  Fig.  d. 

This  is  a  much  smaller  insect  than  those  which  have  been 
described,  as  may  be  seen  by  the  cross-mark  immediately  below 
it.  The  colour  of  the  thorax  is  black,  and  that  of  the  abdomen 
bright  yellow,  with  an  orange  tinge  during  life.     The  upper 


TUENIP-FLY  OR  'NIGGER.'  303 

edge  of  the  wing,  is  black,  and  the  tips  are  darker  than  the 
centre.  The  larva  of  this  insect  may  be  known  by  having  the 
sides  of  each  segment  of  the  abdomen  lengthened  into  a  sort  of 
flap,  which  covers  the  pro-legs.  This  larva  may  be  found  on 
the  leaves  of  the  rose,  with  its  body  bent  upwards,  and  some- 
times even  assuming  a  double  curve. 

The  most  superficial  observer  must  notice  that  the  insect 
which  is  represented  on  Woodcut  XXX.  Fig.  3,  is  a  very 
curious  one.  It  belongs  to  the  same  group  of  Saw-flies  as  the 
last-mentioned  insects. 

The  male  is  remarkable  for  the  structure  of  the  antennse, 
which,  as  may  be  seen  from  the  illustration,  are  not  only 
feathered,  but  double,  the  divisions  taking  place  at  the  scape 
or  first  joint.  In  the  female  the  antenna  is  single  and  not 
feathered.  The  head  and  thorax  of  this  curious  insect  are 
black,  and  its  abdomen  yellow.  Its  scientific  name  is  Schizo- 
cerus  pallipes.  Both  names  are  appropriate.  The  first  is 
formed  from  the  Greek  words  signifying  '  Divided  horn,'  and 
the  second,  which  signifies  Pale-footed,  is  given  to  the  insect  in 
consequence  of  the  pale  colour  of  its  legs.  The  insect  was  first 
taken  in  Coombe  Wood,  by  Mr.  J.  King,  and  has  since  been  cap- 
tured sparingly.     It  still  remains,  however,  a  very  rare  insect. 

Here  must  be  mentioned  the  terrible  Tdrnip-fly  or  Niggeu 
{Athalia  spinarum)  which  is  shown  on  Woodcut  XXIX.  Fig.  3. 
In  this  genus  the  insects  have  either  nine  or  ten  joints  in  the 
antennse,  the  third  joint  being  a  long  one  and  the  ends  widen- 
ing into  an  ill-defined  club,  as  may  be  seen  at  Fig.  /.  In  the 
wings  there  are  two  marginal  and  four  submargiujil  cells. 
The  reader  will  now  see  the  importance  of  these  cells  in  the 
arrangement  of  the  Hymenoptera.  Many  persons  seem  to 
think  that  neither  number,  shape,  nor  size  is  of  the  least  con- 
sequence, and  that,  in  drawing  such  an  insect,  the  artist  may 
put  in  any  number  of  cells  and  shape  them  as  he  likes.  The 
entomologist,  however,  knows  better,  and  though  he  cannot  be 
expected  to  carry  in  his  mind  the  exact  number  and  shape  of 
the  cells,  he  can  always  tell  at  a  glance  whether  the  wings 
have  been  carefully  sketched  from  nature,  or  carelessly  drawn 
from  imagination. 


304  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

The  head  of  the  insect  is  black,  and  so  are  the  sides  and 
base  of  the  thorax,  while  the  rest  of  the  body  is  bright  yellow. 
The  wings  are  translucent,  and  along  the  upper  edge  is  a 
streak  of  black.  The  larva  of  this  insect  is  grey-black,  and 
is  therefore  popularly  called  the  Nigger.  It  is  always  to  be 
found  in  some  localities  where  turnips  are  grown,  but  in  certain 
years  it  appears  in  vast  numbers,  and  is  one  of  the  worst 
plagues  that  a  farmer  can  fear.  Somewhere  about  July,  the 
parent  insects  appear  by  thousands,  and  make  their  way  to  the 
turnip-fields,  where  they  lay  their  eggs,  using  for  the  purpose 
the  saw-like  ovipositor  which  has  already  been  mentioned. 
Mr.  E.  Newman  has  given  great  attention  to  these  small 
though  terrible  insects,  and  his  description  of  them  in  the 
'  Letters  of  Eusticus  '  is  so  graphic  that  I  cannot  do  better  than 
transfer  it  to  these  pages  : — 

'  These  flies  do  not  taste  the  turnips,  but  only  come  to  them 
on  family  business  :  they  deposit  their  eggs  on  the  under  side 
of  the  leaf,  gluing  them  on  the  cuticle.  In  a  very  few  days 
they  were  hatched ;  from  the  eggs  had  emerged  the  little 
caterpillars.  On  August  9,  these  little  creatures  swarmed  on 
every  leaf.  I  walked  over  field  after  field,  and  found  them  all 
in  the  same  state.  On  Mr.  Moline's  farm,  at  Old  Pond,  three 
men  were  hoeing  the  turnips  on  a  Saturday ;  I  showed  them 
the  enemy,  and  told  them  that  the  turnips  would  be  thin 
enough  by  Monday,  without  any  hoeing ;  however,  they  were 
farmer's  men,  and  "  knowed  better."  On  Sunday  I  could  not 
get  out  30  far  as  a  turnip-field.  On  Monday  I  was  again  in  the 
field  at  Old  Pond,  and  the  turnips  were  not.  Since  my  last 
visit  they  had  been  swept  from  the  face  of  the  earth.  The 
land  was  everywhere  as  bare  as  on  the  day  it  had  been  sowed. 
There  was  no  speck  of  green  for  the  eye  to  rest  on.  It  was  a 
wild  and  universal  desolation  ;  and  the  black,  crawling  vermin 
that  had  caused  the  ruin  were  clustered  in  bunches  on  the 
ground,  or  lingering  about  the  skeletons  of  the  turnip-leaves. 
No  plague  of  Egypt  could  have  been  more  effective  ;  the  mis- 
chief was  complete.  Some  fields  received  the  blast  a  few  days 
later  than  others,  but  all  had  it ;  not  one  escaped,  unless  the 
crop  were  swedes,  and  it  is  remarkable  that  these  were  un- 
touched. 

'  I  will  now  give  a  somewhat  more  particular  history  of  this 


EAVAGES  OF  THE  'NIGGER.'  305 

blight.  The  egg  is  of  an  oblong  form  and  pale  colour,  and  is 
so  firmly  glued  to  the  cuticle  of  the  leaf  that  I  have  never 
been  able  to  get  one  off  without  breaking  it ;  but  when  the  egg 
is  removed  it  leaves,  or  rather  discloses,  a  wound  in  the  cuticle 
of  the  leaf,  and  I  have  little  doubt  that  this  wound  is  made 
by  the  parent  fly,  in  order  that  the  egg  itself  may  receive 
nourishment  from  the  juices  of  the  plant.  This  is  perhaps 
a  little  hypothetical,  but  there  is  a  fact  which  seems  to  re- 
quire such  an  explanation,  for  the  egg  positively  grows,  while 
still  to  all  appearance  an  egg.  At  the  end  of  four  days  its 
bulk  is  nearly  doubled,  and  by  the  ninth  day,  when  the  grub 
comes  out,  it  is  actually  three  times  as  large  as  when 
deposited. 

'  Directly*  the  young  Nigger  is  let  out  of  the  egg-shell,  he 
begins  eating  away  in  right  earnest.  The  first  onslaught  is 
generally  made  as  near  as  possible  to  the  spot  where  he  was 
born,  but  after  a  day  or  two  the  edges  of  the  leaf  seem  to  be 
most  favoured  by  his  attentions,  and  here  the  whole  family  may 
be  seen  working  with  a  will,  their  heads  at  the  work  of  demolition, 
and  their  tails  cocked  up  in  the  air.  In  an  incredibly  short 
space  of  time  the  green  of  the  leaf  is  gone,  and  nothing  is 
visible  but  the  naked  skeletons  of  veins,  which  the  Niggers  do 
not  choose  to  consume.  The  colour  of  the  grub  is  a  dull  lead 
colour,  with  a  rather  rough  or  wrinkly  skin,  but  without  hairs  ; 
and  down  each  side,  from  stem  to  stern,  is  a  paler  line.  Its 
length,  when  full  grown,  is  between  half  and  three-quarters  of 
an  inch.  It  has  no  less  than  twenty  legs,  six  of  which  are  placed 
in  three  pairs,  very  near  the  head.  These  six  are  long,  hard, 
horny,  and  sharp-pointed,  and  with  them  the  grub  holds  fast 
the  edge  of  the  leaf  while  he  goes  on  devouring  it ;  the  other 
fourteen  legs  are  arranged  in  seven  pairs  along  the  body,  and 
are  soft  and  fleshy  without  any  horny  substance,  and  quite 
without  sharp  points.  These  legs  are  used  when  the  grub  is 
crawling;  but  while  he  is  eating,  and  the  tail,  indeed  the 
gi-eater  part  of  the  body,  is,  as  I  have  already  said,  cocked  up 
in  the  air,  they  are  quite  unemployed.  Sometimes,  and  es- 
pecially when  offended  or  in  danger,  the  Nigger-grub  coils  him- 
self up  in  a  ring,  holding  the  leaf  very  slightly  by  the  first 
pair  of  legs,  that  pair  next  the  head,"  and  when  touched  in  this 
state,  falls  directly  to   the   ground,   and  there  lies  as  though 

X 


306  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

dead ;  indeed,  if  not  in  a  ring  before,  he  almost  always  rolls 
himself  into  one  when  touched. 

'  When  the  Nigger  has  reached  his  full  size — a  period  de- 
pending on  the  temperature  of  the  weather  and  the .  supply  of 
food,  but  averaging  twenty  days — he  burrows  in  the  earth, 
and  there  makes  a  little  oval  house,  just  big  enough  for  his 
body,  which  has  all  at  once  become  shorter  and  thicker  ^  he 
then  plasters  the  walls  of  this  place  with  a  sort  of  sticky  varnish 
or  glue,  which  he  discharges  at  this  time  only ;  he  keeps  on 
discharging  and  spreading  this  glue  till  he  is  quite  surrounded 
with  a  strong,  tough,  and  hard  cocoon,  the  particles  of  earth 
being  mixed  with  the  glue,  and  the  whole  forming  an  admirable 
and  perfect  defence  against  wet  or  the  attacks  of  insects.  The 
period  of  his  stay  in  this  cocoon  varies  according  to  circum- 
stances :  if  the  weather  is  hot,  it  sometimes  happens  that  the 
grub  becomes  a  mummy-like  chrysalis  in  ten  days,  and  a 
perfect  fly,  and  again  on  the  wing,  in  five  more  ;  but  the 
greater  part  of  the  brood  remain  unchanged  all  through  the 
autumn,  winter,  and  spring.  I  have  turned  up  the  cocoons, 
and  found  the  grub  little  altered  even  in  May. 

'  Soon  after  this  the  change  to  a  chrysalis  must  take  place, 
and  the  change  to  a  fly  occurs,  in  average  seasons,  about  the 
middle  of  July ;  when  this  is  accomplished,  it  moistens  one 
end  of  its  cocoon,  so  as  to  make  it  easy  to  come  out,  and  then 
it  climbs  up  through  the  earth  and  takes  wing.  But  the 
plough  and  harrow,  the  operations  of  which  are  sure  to  follow 
the  eating  off  of  the  turnip-crop,  often  turn  up  and  expose  the 
cocoons,  so  that,  instead  of  being  an  inch  or  two  below  the 
surface,  they  are  laid  at  the  top.  The  system  of  crop  rotation, 
however,  serves  to  remove  the  fly  of  the  Nigger  from  the  food 
best  fitted  for  its  progeny ;  and  it  often  happens  that  the  flies 
come  to  maturity  in  a  field  of  ripening  grain,  the  ears  of  which 
they  mount,  and,  spreading  their  wings,  float  off  in  myriads  to 
the  nearest  turnip-field. 

'  I  find  a  hundred  recipes  for  the  destruction  of  these 
Niggers,  all  of  which  are  moonshine  except  one,  and  this,  for  a 
wonder,  is  rational.  It  is  this :  buy  an  immense  number  of 
ducks,  and  turn  them  into  your  turnips,  and  they  will  devour 
the  niggers  by  millions,  and  in  a  few  days  become  as  fat  as 
butter.  Thus  two  birds  are  killed  with  one  stone — the  ducks 
fattened  and  the  turnips  saved. 


HAND-PICKING.  307 

'  When  we  get  on  a  little  farther  with  our  inquiries  into  the 
history  of  animals,  and  especially  such  little  things  as  insects, 
you  may  depend  on  it  we  shall  find  the  best  way  to  check  the 
increase  of  any  hurtful  kind  is  to  encourage  any  other  animal, 
whether  beast,  bird,  fish,  or  insect,  that  makes  the  injurious 
one  its  prey.' 

Hand-picking  has  also  proved  serviceable,  but  I  am  not 
aware  of  any  other  plan  that  is  of  the  least  practical  use  in 
destroying  this  insect.  The  rule  which  Mr.  Newman  has  laid 
down  is  a  most  admirable  one,  and  is  worth  the  attention  of 
all  cultivators  of  land,  whether  for  farming  or  horticultural  pur- 
poses.   The  '  Nigger '  larva  is  shown  on  Woodcut  XXIX.  Fig.  b. 

There  is  a  closely  allied  genus,  called  Selandria,  the  larvae 
of  which  are  singularly  unpleasant  to  the  eye,  as  well  as 
injurious  to  vegetation.  They  continually  exude  from  the  sides 
of  the  body  a  thick,  sticky  liquid,  of  a  greenish-black  colour, 
in  which  they  are  completely  enveloped.  This  is  evidently  used 
as  a  means  of  concealment,  for  the  larva  does  not  move  so  long 
as  daylight  endures,  but  flattens  itself  to  the  object  on  which  it 
is  resting,  and  looks  like  a  mere  lump  of  unpleasant  slime  that 
has  accidentally  fallen  upon  the  tree.  In  America  these  larvae 
go  by  the  popular  and  expressive  name  of  Slug-worms,  and 
often  do  great  damage  to  the  peach,  the  plum,  the  cherry,  the 
quin«e,  and  similar  fruit-trees. 

Next  in  order  comes  the  insect  which  is  shown  on  Woodcut 
XXIX.  Fig.  4.     Its  name  is  Allantus  scrophularirr. 

In  this  genus  the  abdomen  is  longer  and  more  slender  than 
in  the  preceding  genera,  the  hind  pair  of  legs  are  com- 
paratively long,  the  clypeus  is  deeply  notched,  and  the  antennae 
are  rather  slender,  the  third  joint  being  longer  than  the  fourth. 
One  of  these  antenna  is  sliown  at  Fig.  g.  The  cells  of  the 
wings  are  formed  like  those  of  Athalia.  These  insects  are 
very  plentiful,  and  are  decidedly  pretty,  the  abdomen  being- 
coloured  with  bright  yellow  or  green,  the  former  hue  pre- 
dominating. In  the  present  species  the  antennae  are  rather 
short  and  thick,  but  in  some  they  are  much  longer.  There 
are  between  forty  and  fifty  species  of  this  large  genus. 

The  larva,  which  is  shown  at  Fig.  c,  feeds  upon  the  Figwort 

X  2 


308  INSECTS  AT  HOiyiE. 

{Scrophularia),  from  which  the  insect  derives  its  specific  name. 
It  has  twenty-two  feet,  and  varies  much  in  colour  after  its 
changes  of  skin.  When  it  is  full-fed,  it  leaves  the  plant  on 
which  it  has  fed,  and  burrows  beneath  the  soil  at  its  root, 
making  for  itself  a  cell  below  the  surface  of  the  earth,  but  not 
spinning  a- genuine  cocoon. 

On  Woodcut  XXIX.  Fig.  2,  is  a  rather  remarkable  Saw-fly, 
called  Croesus  septentrionalis.  In  this  genus  the  antennae  are 
composed  of  nine  elongated  and  slender  joints,  as  may  be 
seen  at  Fig.  e.  The  wings  have  one  marginal  and  four  sub- 
marginal  cells,  and  into  the  second  run  two  small  nervures, 
called  '  recurrent '  nervm'es.  The  hind  legs  are  large,  and  the 
first  joint  of  the  tarsi  very  large  and  flattened.  There  are 
many  species  of  this  genus,  and  the  present  species  is  a  very 
pretty  one.  The  head,  thorax,  and  base  of  the  abdomen  are 
black  and  shining,  and  the  rest  of  the  body  is  bright  red. 
The  legs  are  black,  diversified  with  many  white  patches,  as 
seen  in  the  illustration.  The  name  Croesus  is  given  to  the 
insect  in  allusion  to  the  golden  red  of  the  abdomen. 

This  is  a  very  local  insect,  and  though  not  generally  spread 
throughout  the  country,  is  tolerably  plentiful  in  places  where 
it  does  exist.  Mr.  F.  Smith  tells  me  that  he  has  taken  it  near 
Poole,  feeding  upon  the  alders  that  grew  upon  marshy  ground. 
Mr.  Doubleday  has  taken  it  in  Epping  Forest,  feeding  on  the 
filbert.  The  larvae  are  partly  gregarious,  dull  green  in  colour, 
spotted  with  black,  and  changing  to  yellow  at  the  end  of  the 
body.  When  they  are  alarmed,  they  protrude  from  between 
the  fore-legs  a  number  of  blackish  tubercles,  and  withdraw 
them  when  the  danger  has  passed  away.  Like  the  larvae  of 
the  Cimbex,  they  roll  themselves  up  if  touched.  When  full-fed, 
the  grub  seeks  the  ground,  and  constructs  under  the  sm'face 
a  small  cocoon,  brown  in  colour,  and  very  slight  in  texture. 
Darenth  Wood  is  mentioned  as  one  of  the  localities  in  which 
it  is  to  be  found.     The  larva  of  this  species  is  shown  at  Fig.  a. 

The  fine  insect  shown  on  Woodcut  XXX.  Fig.  2,  belongs  to 
the  typical  genus  of  this  family,  and  is  known  as  Tentkredo 
zonatus.  This  genus  has  the  antennae  long  and  slender,  the 
third  joint  not  being  longer  than  the  fourth.     The  wings  have 


PINE  SAW-FLY.  309 

two  marginal  and  four  submarginal  cells,  and  the  abdomen  is 
rather  long  and  flattened.  The  present  species  differs  con- 
siderably in  colour,  according  to  the  sex,  the  male  being 
almost  entirely  yellow,  while  the  female  is  black,  with  a 
broad  yellow  band  or  zone  across  the  body,  as  is  seen  in  the 
illustration.  The  specific  name  zonatus,  or  banded,  refers  to 
this  yellow  belt  in  the  female.  The  male  is  rather  smaller 
than  the  female,  but  his  inferiority  in  size  is  compensated  by 
the  superior  brilliancy  of  his  colour. 

/  Most  persons  who  possess,  or  who  take  an  interest  in  gardens, 
have  noticed  how  liable  is  the  gooseberry  to  be  destroyed  by  a 
caterpillar-like  grub.  This  is  the  larva  of  a  Saw-fly  called 
Nematus  (/rossularice,  an  insect  which  is  more  pretty  than  it  is 
agreeable.  The  insects  of  this  genus  have  nine  joints  to  the 
antennae,  and  in  the  wings  there  are  one  marginal  and  four 
submarginal  cells,  into  the  second  of  which  run  two  'recurrent 
nerves.'     The  tarsi  are  not  dilated. 

When  these  larvae  take  possession  of  the  gooseberries,  it  is 
most  difficult  to  extirpate  them,  and  I  believe  that  nothing 
but  handpicking  will  answer  the  purpose.  Mr.  Waterton's 
plan  of  '  dishing  '  the  gooseberries,  i.e.,  cutting  away  the  centre 
and  training  the  branches  so  as  to  radiate  in  the  form  of  a 
hollow  cone  reversed,  makes  this  operation  much  easier,  as  well 
as  permits  the  gooseberries  to  be  gathered  without  risk  of 
pricking  the  fingers.  As  many  as  a  thousand  larvae  have  been 
found  on  a  single  gooseberry  bush,  and  as  there  are  two  broods 
in  a  year,  the  mischief  which  they  can  do  is  almost  incalculable. 
Throughout  their  imperfect  stages,  these  creatures  are  social, 
and  their  cocoons  may  be  found  in  great  numbers,  attached  to 
each  other  by  their  ends.  The  colour  of  the  larvae  is  a  smooth 
leaden  hue,  and  across  their  bodies  are  many  rows  of  tiny 
black,  hair-bearing  warts.  There  are  many  species  of  this  genus, 
which  feed  upon  various  trees,  and  which  do  much  damage, 
not  only  in  the  orchard  but  in  plantations,  the  willow,  alder, 
osier,  &c.,  being  specially  subject  to  their  attacks. 

On  Woodcut  XXX.  Fig.  4,  is  a  slightly  magnified  figure  of 
a  Saw-fly  with  rather  curious  habits.  This  is  the  Pine  Saw- 
fly  [Lophyrus  pini).  In  this  genus  the  male  is  always  less  than 


310  INSECTS  AT   HOME. 

the  female,  and  may  be  distinguished  by  the  form  of  the 
anternee.  In  the  female  these  organs  are  comparatively 
simple,  as  is  shown  at  Fig.  e,  but  in  the  male  they  are  deeply 
and  doubly  toothed,  the  teeth  being  very  much  longer  on  the 
inner  than  on  the  outer  side.  One  of  these  antennae  is  shown 
on  Fig.  d. 

In  this  species,  the  male  and  female  also  differ  greatly  in 
colour,  the  former  being  wholly  black,  while  the  latter  is  yellow, 
with  a  black  head,  and  broad  black-grey  band  across  the  middle 
of  the  abdomen.  The  comparative  proportions  of  yellow  and 
black  vary  much  in  different  specimens.  As  its  name  imports, 
this  insect  feeds,  while  in  a  larval  state,  on  the  pine,  and  con- 
sequently is  found  more  plentifully  in  the  northern  than  in  the 
southern  parts  of  Europe.  Happily,  in  this  country,  it  is 
rather  a  scarce  insect,  but  in  some  of  the  pine-growing  dis- 
tricts of  Northern  Europe  it  does  considerable  damage. 

The  larva  which  is  shown  at  Fig.  6,  is  dirty  yellow  in  colour, 
diversified  with  black  spots  arranged  longitudinally.  Like  the 
larva  of  the  Nematus,  it  is  social  in  its  habits,  and  may  be  found 
in  groups,  numbering  a  hundred  or  so,  upon  the  pine-trees, 
feeding  upon  the  leaves.  Their  mode  of  eating  the  needle-like 
leaves  of  this  tree  is  from  tip  to  base,  and  has  been  graphically 
compared  to  the  manner  in  which  men  eat  radishes.  When  the 
leaves  are  finished,  the  larvae  proceed  between  the  young  shoots, 
which  they  completely  strip  of  their  bark,  and  so  proceed  from 
one  branch  to  another,  rendering  them  as  leafless  as  if  the 
trees  were  dead. 

Owing  to  the  nature  of  their  food,  they  naturally  swallow  a 
large  amount  of  pure  resin,  and,  if  they  are  touched,  they  allow 
a  drop  of  liquid  resin  to  flow  from  their  mouths.  When  they 
are  full-fed  they  proceed  to  envelope  themselves  in  cocoons, 
which  are  attached  to  the  pine-leaves,  and  it  is  remarkable 
that  the  cocoons  of  the  female  insects  are  larger  than  those  of 
the  male.  One  of  these  cocoons  is  shown  at  Fig.  c.  The 
perfect  insects  make  their  appearance  about  May.  Only  a 
very  few  British  species  of  this  genus  are  known. 

The  Saw-fly  which  is  represented  on  Plate  IX.  Fig.  4,  belongs 
to  a  genus  named  Lyda,  in  which  the  larvae  of  the  different 
species  vary  remarkably  in  their    habits.     In  this  genus  the 


HORN-TAILED  SAW-FLIES.  311 

antennae  are  not  feathered,  and  their  joints  vary  in  number  from 
nineteen  to  thirty-six.  There  are  two  marginal  and  four  sub- 
marginal  cells,  and  the  tibiae  of  the  second  and  third  pairs  of 
legs  have  three  spines.  The  name  of  the  present  species  is 
Lyda  hortorum,  and  it  is  a  really  pretty  insect.  The  head 
and  thorax  are  black,  and  the  abdomen  a  very  warm  orange 
red.  The  wings  are  peculiarly  shining.  Mr.  F.  Smith  tells 
me  that  it  is  a  very  erratic  and  uncertain  insect  in  its  appear- 
ance, being  foimd  in  plenty  one  day,  while  on  the  next  not  a 
solitary  specimen  is  to  be  seen.  It  is  exceedingly  active  and 
difficult  to  catch,  and  while  flying,  its  wings  glitter  in  the 
sunshine  as  if  they  were  made  of  burnished  gold. 

The  larvce  of  this  genus  have  no  pro-legs  on  the  abdomen, 
but  at  the  end  of  the  body  are  two  jointed  projections  some- 
what resembling  the  true  legs  of  the  thorax.  In  consequence 
of  this  structure,  the  movements  of  the  larvaa  are  slow  and  of  a 
gliding  character.  The  larvae  are  semi-social,  and  live  in 
company  after  a  very  curious  fashion.  A  number  of  them 
associate  together  upon  a  branch,  each  larva  spinning  for 
itself  a  separate  case  in  which  it  lives,  while  the  entire  associa- 
tion is  covered  by  a  common  roof  formed  of  the  leaves  of  a  tree 
fastened  to  each  other  with  silken  webs.  The  larvae  of  some 
species  of  Lyda  form  their  cases  of  leaves,  which  they  roll 
up  into  a  cylindrical  form,  and  in  which  they  live  like  the 
caddis-worms  in  their  tubes. 

We  now  come  to  a  remarkable  group  of  Saw-flies,  which  at 
first  sight  scarcely  seem  to  belong  to  the  same  family,  as  those 
which  have  just  been  mentioned.  They  are,  indeed,  so  different 
in  aspect  that  many  systematic  entomologists  have  formed  them 
into  a  separate  family,  named  Uroceridae,  i.e.  Horn-tailed  Saw- 
flies.  In  these  insects,  the  saws  are  modified  into  a  powerful 
boring  apparatus,  by  means  of  which  the  female  insect  can 
drill  a  hole  into  solid  timber,  instead  of  merely  cutting  a  groove 
in  soft  bark.  The  body  is  nearly  cylindi-ical  in  form,  but  flatter 
in  the  males  than  in  the  females.  The  prothorax  is  elongated, 
and  forms  a  sort  of  neck  between  the  head  and  the  thorax.  The 
mandibles  are  strong  and  horny,  though  small ;  and  the  front 
tibiae  have  one  spur  at  the  tip,  and  in  the  males  the  hinder 
tibiae  are  flattened. 


312  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

On  Plate  IX.  Fig.  7,  is  shown  one  of  these  remarkable  Saw- 
flies,  called  Sirex  or  Urocerus  juvencus.  The  specimen  is  a 
male,  so  that  the  very  long  ovipositor  is  not  shown.  In  this 
genus  the  neck  is  a  very  short  one,  there  are  two  marginal  and 
four  sub-marginal  cells,  the  maxillary  palpi  are  very  short,  and 
the  boring  instrument  is  very  long,  and  exterior  to  the  body. 
The  colour  of  the  present  species  diflfers  greatly  according  to 
sex,  the  male  being  black  and  yellow,  while  the  female  is  a 
very  deep  violet,  almost  amounting  to  black. 

I  very  strongly  recommend  any  of  my  readers  who  may  obtain 
a  female  Sirex  to  disengage  the  actual  borer  from  its  two-bladed 
sheath,  and  examine  it  with  the  aid  of  a  microscope.  A  half- 
inch  object-glass  will  give  quite  sufficient  power.  It  is  straight, 
stiff,  and  elastic,  as  if  made  of  steel,  and,  if  bent,  will  spring- 
back  to  its  proper  form  with  the  elasticity  of  a  Toledo  rapier. 
In  form  it  somewhat  resembles  the  instrument  known  technically 
as  a  '  rymer,'  except  that  the  edges  are  rounded,  and  not  square. 
But  the  borer  possesses  an  auxiliary  cutting  apparatus  which 
places  it  far  above  the  rymer  in  point  of  efficacy.  Even  with 
an  ordinary  magnifying  lens,  it  is  easy  to  see  that  the  end  of 
the  borer  is  developed  into  a  sharp  head  very  much  resenabling 
that  of  a  boarding-pike,  and  that  the  outline  of  the  shaft  is 
broken  into  a  series  of  notches. 

The  half-inch  glass,  however,  discloses  a  marvellous  example 
of  mechanical  excellence.  The  head  of  the  borer  is  then  seen 
to  be  armed  with  long,  sharp  teeth,  slightly  curved  inwards, 
and  acting  just  as  does  the  carpenter's  ordinary  centre-bit. 
So  much  for  the  head  of  the  borer :  we  will  now  turn  to  the 
shaft.  It  appears  that,  in  order  to  make  a  clean-cut  hole  for 
the  reception  of  the  egg,  the  shaft  of  the  borer  has  to  finish  the 
task  which  the  head  begins.  Accordingly,  it  is  armed  on  each 
of  its  sides  with  a  series  of  hard,  sharp-edged  ridges,  running 
diagonally  across  it,  and  acting  exactly  as  do  the  sharp  ridges 
of  a  coffee-mill.  A  more  effective  implement  could  not  have 
been  invented,  and  the 'various  boring  instruments  of  modern 
days,  however  novel  they  may  appear  to  be,  are  in  reality  formed 
on  exactly  the  same  principle  as  the  borer  of  the  Sirex,  though 
perhaps  they  may  not  carry  out  their  object  with  such  perfection. 

This  is  a  wood-boring  insect,  the  female  drilling  a  hole  in  the 
solid  wood,  usually  that  of  the  fir,  and  depositing  her  eggs  in 


THE   SIREX   AND   THE  PINE-TREE.  313 

it.  It  is  thought  by  many  naturalists  that  the  Sirex  never 
attacks  •  growing  trees,  but  restricts  itself  to  those  which  are 
either  dead  or  dying.  The  late  Mr.  Waterton  was  of  this 
opinion.  Shortly  before  liis  lamented  death  he  showed  me  two 
fir-trees  which  he  had  '  girdled'  in  order  to  kill  them,  for  the 
purpose  of  seeing  whether  or  not  the  Sirex  would  attack  them. 
Unfortunately,  the  accident  from  which  he  died  put  a  stop  to 
the  experiment. 

It  is,  at  all  events,  certain  that  the  Sirex  does  exist  in  dead 
timber,  and  nothing  is  more  common  than  to  see  a  newly 
erected  summer-house  absolutely  infested  by  the  Sirex,  which, 
although  harmless  enough,  looks  so  like  a  hornet  that  scarcely 
any  persons  who  are  not  practical  entomologists  can  believe 
that  an  insect  so  formidable  in  appearance,  and  armed  with 
so  huge  a  sting,  can  be  anything  but  dangerous. 

In  Curtis'  'British  Entomology'  it  is  mentioned  that  the 
Sirex  has  made  its  appearance  in  York  Minster,  a  number  of 
the  males  having  been  captured  as  they  were  flying  about  the 
tower ;  and  Mr.  Curtis  took  occasion  to  prognosticate  danger 
to  the  tower,  not  only  from  the  weakening  of  the  timber,  but 
from  its  increased  liability  to  combustion,  owing  to  the  nume- 
rous tunnels  -with  which  it  is  perforated. 

I  have  quite  a  collection  of  these  insects,  sent  to  me  by 
persons  Who  have  found  them  in  newly-panelled  rooms,  in 
summer-houses,  and  similar  localities,  and  who  have  been  quite 
alarmed  at  their  presence.  These,  however,  mostly  belong  to 
another  species,  Sirex  gigas,  the  female  of  which  is  yellow  and 
black,  like  the  male,  and  which  therefore  looks  much  more 
like  a  hornet  than  its  relative,  Sirex  juvencus.  It  is  really  a 
splendid  insect.  One  that  I  have  taken  at  random  from  a  box 
measures  an  inch  and  a  half  from  the  head  to  the  end  of  the 
tail,  the  spread  of  wing  is  two  inches  and  three  quarters,  and 
the  boring  apparatus,  which  is  as  large  as  a  '  No.  5  '  needle,  is 
rather  more  than  an  inch  in  length,  so  that  if  people  mistake 
it  for  a  poison-bearing  sting,  they  are  likely  to  be  afraid  of  the 
insect. 

The  colouring  of  this  insect  is  peculiarly  bold.  The  head 
is  thickly  punctured,  and  deep  black,  except  a  patch  of  brio-ht 
yellow  behind  the  eyes.  The  thorax  is  also  black,  punctured, 
and  covered  with  a  coating  of  line  black  down.     The  abdomen 


314  INSECTS   AT  HOME. 

is  bright  ochreous  yellow,  with  the  exception  of  a  broad 
satin-like  belt  round  the  middle,  the  colour  being  black, 
glossed  with  violet.  The  boring  instrument  is  brown,  with  a 
slight  tint  of-  red  in  it.  The  femora,  or  thighs  of  the  legs,  are 
black,  and  the  rest  yellow,  and  the  antennae  are  yellow.  Even 
the  wings  have  a  decided  yellow  tinge  about  them. 

The  reader  may  remember  that  most  wood-boring  insects  are 
exceedingly  variable  in  size.  The  Sirex  is  no  exception  to  the 
rule,  for,  while  some  specimens  are  almost  gigantic  in  dimen- 
sions, others  are  the  merest  dwarfs  by  their  side. 

The  larva  bears  some  resemblance  in  general  form  to  that  of 
the  Musk  Beetle,  described  on  page  195.  The  mandibles  are 
very  strong,  and  furnished  with  saw-like  teeth  at  the  end,  their 
action  being  as  remarkable  as  it  is  powerful.  They  remain  in 
the  larval  state  for  a  considerable  time  ;  but  the  duration  of  the 
pupal  existence  depends  much  on  circumstances,  those  which 
change  to  the  pupal  condition  in  the  summer  only  waiting  a 
month  or  so,  while  those  which  change  at  the  end  of  autumn 
have  to  wait  for  nearly  a  year. 

As  a  rule,  none  of  the  species  of  Sirex  are  very  common  in 
this  country.  They  are,  however,  tolerably  plentiful  in  the 
neighbourhood  of  my  house,  because  there  is  a  small  fir-wood 
within  a  hundred  yards  of  it,  and  that  wood  has  been  fenced 
off  by  a  paling  made  from  the  misshapen  firs.  That  they  may 
be  thus  locally  common  may  be  seen  from  an  account  published 
in  the  first  volume  of  the  '  Transactions  of  tlie  Entomological 
Society.'  A  part  of  a  fir-tree,  some  twenty  feet  long,  was  placed 
in  an  outhouse,  and  for  several  months  the  Sirex  juvencus  issued 
at  the  rate  of  five  or  six  jper  diem.  At  first  they  were  nearly 
all  males',  then  a  few  females  appeared,  and  dm'ing  the  last  two 
weeks,  i.e.  the  end  of  November,  females  alone  made  their 
appearance.  The  piece  of  wood  in  question  was  sent  to  the 
Society  by  Mr.  Eaddon,  from  Bewdley  Forest,  Worcestershire. 

An  enormous  group  of  Hymenoptera  now  comes  before  us, 
appropriately  entitled  Entomophaga.  This  name  is  formed 
from  two  Greek  words,  signifying  '  insect-eating.'  It  is  given 
to  them  because,  in  the  larval  state,  the  greater  number 
of  them  are  parasites  within  other  insects ;  usually,  but  not 
always,  attacking  them  while  still  larvae.    In  them  the  abdomen 


THE  GALL-FLIES.  315 

is  attached  to  the  thorax  by  a  very  small  portion  of  its  dia- 
meter, and  is  often  lengthened  into  a  more  or  less  slender 
footstalk.  The  females  are  furnished  with  an  ovipositor  com- 
posed of  several  valves,  and  similar  in  most  respects  to  that  of 
the  Sirex-  Mr.  Westwood  arranges  them  in  two  groups  ;  the 
one,  which  he  calls  Spiculifera,  having  '  two  delicate  spicula, 
working  in  a  horny  semi-canal,  which  is  defended  at  rest  by 
two  often  partially  exserted  valves.'  The  second  division  in- 
cludes those  in  which  the  abdomen  is  terminated  by  a  tele- 
scopic retractile  tube. 

The  first  family  is  the  Cynipidce,  popularly  known  as  Gall- 
flies, in  which  the  ovipositor  is  internal  and  more  or  less  spiral, 
and  the  antennae  are  straight  and  have  from  thirteen  to  fifteen 
joints.  By  means  of  the  ovipositor,  the  female  insect  punctures 
various  portions  of  plants,  the  ribs  and  nervures  of  leaves, 
young  twigs  and  roots,  being  the  favourite  objects,  and  by  the 
same  instrument  she  introduces  an  egg  into  the  wound,  to- 
gether with  a  drop  of  some  irritant  liquid.  The  effect  of  this 
liquid  is  very  curious.  It  mixes  in  some  way  with  the  sap  of 
the  tree,  which  causes  ?.  swelling  to  take  place,  in  the  middle 
of  which  the  egg  is  hatched  into  a  larva,  and  finds  at  once  its 
board  and  lodging  combined.  As  is  the  case  with  the  Saw- 
flies,  the  egg  of  the  Gall-fly  enlarges  after  it  is  deposited, 
until  it  is  three  or  four  times  as  large  as  when  it  was  first  de- 
posited. 

The  varieties  of  galls,  in  shape,  colour,  and  size,  are  almost  be- 
yond calculation  ;  for,  despite  the  enormous  number  of  Gall-flies 
that  are  already  known,  new  specimens  are  still  being  discovered, 
and  every  species  makes  its  oAvn  gall.  How  the  instilled  liquid 
acts  no  one  knows,  and  there  are  few  more  curious  problems  in 
nature  than  that  which  the  growth  of  the  gall  involves.  Were 
each  kind  of  tree,  for  example,  to  produce  one  kind  of  gall, 
it  would  be  easy  enough  to  understand  that  the  irritating  liquid 
introduced  by  the  insect  would  produce  a  certain  sort  of  ab- 
normal swelling.  But  when  we  find  that  a  variety  of  Gall-flies 
attack  one  tree,  such  as  the  oak,  and  that  each  produces  an 
entirely  different  gall,  the  problem  is  a  very  perplexing  one. 
In  many  cases,  such  as  the  well-known  currant-gall,  the  nut- 
gall,  and  the  hard,  woody  gall  of  Cynips  Kollari,  which  is  shown 
on  Plate  IX.  Fig.  6,  each  gall  has  but  one  inhabitant.     But  in 


316  INSECTS   AT   HOME. 

others,  of  which  the  common  '  oak-apple '  gall  and  the  '  bede- 
guar '  of  the  rose  are  familiar  examples,  a  number  of  cells  are 
enclosed  in  a  common  gall,  and  each  insect  inhabits  its  own 
cell. 

We  will  now  examine  in  detail  a  few  of  the  most  prominent 
insects  of  this  group.  The  insect  on  Plate  IX.,  to  which  refer- 
ence has  just  been  made,  belongs  to  the  typical  genus  of  the 
family.  By  some  entomologists  it  is  called  Cynipa  Kollari,  in 
honour  of  the  well-known  entomologist,  and  by  some  it  is  en- 
titled Cynips  Ugnicola,  in  consequence  of  the  hard  and  almost 
woody  structure  of  the  gall.  In  this  genus  the  abdomen  is 
rather  egg-shaped,  and  there  is  a  small,  but  boldly  marked 
triangular  submarginal  cell.  The  antennae  of  the  male  have 
fifteen,  and  the  female  fourteen  joints.  The  colour  of  this 
species  is  dull  plain  brown. 

The  rapid  manner  in  which  insects  can  spread  themselves 
over  a  district  when  the  conditions  are  favourable  is  well  ex- 
emplified by  this  Grall-fly.  Comparatively  a  few  years  ago  it 
was  unknown  in  the  vicinity  of  London.  But  Mr.  F.  Smith 
brought  from  Devonshire  a  branch  on  which  were  a  number  of 
the  galls,  and  fastened  it  in  an  oak  hedge.  Next  year  the  oaks 
bore  these  galls  in  numbers,  and  the  insect  has  so  rapidly  made 
its  way  that  its  galls  are  now  better  known  than  those  of  any 
other  species.  They  are  so  plentiful  that  they  are  even  strung 
on  wires,  and  made  into  ornamental  baskets  for  holding  ferns. 
I  have  in  my  garden  an  oak  hedge  which  is  thickly  studded 
with  the  round,  hard  galls.  Even  in  summer-time,  when  the 
leaves  are  on  the  trees,  these  galls  are  easily  seen  ;  but  in  the 
winter,  when  no  foliage  obstructs  the  sight,  they  are  the  most 
conspicuous  objects  in  the  hedge.  In  this  part  of  the  country, 
i  e.  "West  Kent,  there  is  great  abundance  of  oak  underwood,  and 
in  consequence  this  species,  in  common  with  other  oak-loving 
insects,  finds  ample  subsistence. 

I  have  had  great  numbers  of  these  Gall-flies,  and  when  the 
first  batch  escaped  from  the  galls,  I  Avas  sadly  disappointed  at 
the  dull,  sombre  brown  colour,  and  altogether  commonplace 
look  of  the  insect.  Still,  owing  to  the  size  of  the  Cynips,  the 
structure  of  the  ovipositor  can  be  easily  made  out  with  the 
aid  of  a  tolerable  microscope  and  a  fair  stock  of  patience. 


A  CAUTION   TO   ENTOMOLOGISTS.  317 

Sometimes  two,  or  even  more,  of  the  galls  will  be  made  so 
close  together  that  they  coalesce  to  a  greater  or  smaller  de- 
gree. I  possess  one  rather  remarkable  instance  of  this  fusion. 
Contrary  to  the  general  practice,  the  instinct  of  the  enclosed 
insect  misled  it.  After  the  pupa  has  changed  into  the  perfect 
state,  the  Cynips  gnaws  its  way  through  the  substance  of  the 
gall,  and  so  gains  the  outer  air.  The  distance  to  be  traversed 
is  about  half  an  inch,  and  the  insect  has  quite  enough  strength 
to  accomplish  the  task.  But,  in  the  instance  of  which  I  speak, 
one  of  the  G-all-flies  had  mistaken  its  way,  and,  instead  of 
directing  itself  to  the  point  which  would  lead  it  most  directly 
into  the  open  air,  unfortunately  took  exactly  the  opposite  direc- 
tion, and  hit  upon  the  very  spot  where  the  galls  were  joined 
after  the  fashion  of  the  Siamese  twins.  Consequently,  instead 
of  having  to  gnaw  its  way  through  a  wall  barely  half  an  inch 
in  thickness,  it  had  to  traverse  an  inch  and  a  half  before  it 
could  reach  the  air.  Very  naturally,  its  strength  was  ex- 
hausted before  it  could  perform  such  a  task,  and  I  found  it 
lying  dead  on  the  spot  where  the  galls  were  joined. 

To  me,  one  most  interesting  point  was  to  observe  the 
economy  of  Nature  even  in  so  small  an  insect  as  a  Gall-fly. 
Normally  it  has  to  bite  its  way  through  half  an  inch  of  material, 
and  it  has  strength  for  that  purpose.  But  it  has  not  more 
than  sufficient  strength,  and  so  it  happened  that  the  insect  in 
question,  after  traversing  its  allotted  half  inch,  had  no  strength 
to  proceed  further,  and  so  died  on  the  scene  of  its  uncompleted 
labours. 

An  insect  so  plentiful,  so  conspicuous,  and  so  sluggish 
might  be  supposed  to  suffer  much  from  birds.  It  has,  how- 
ever, been  well  observed  that  this  species  has,  when  handled, 
a  very  disagreeable  odour,  and  that  therefore  the  birds  may 
reject  it,  as  is  known  to  be  the  case  with  many  other  insects. 

It  is  impossible,  with  the  limited  space  at  our  command,  to 
do  more  than  give  this  brief  sketch  of  the  life  of  a  Gall-fly. 
There  are  very  many  other  species,  some  of  which  are  exceed- 
ingly beautiful  and  others  comparatively  dull.  Breeding  them 
from  the  gall  is  a  very  interesting  pursuit,  but  I  must  warn 
the  novice  in  this  art  that,  although  he  may  hatch  a  number 
of  Hymenoptera  from  galls,  it  does  not  by  any  means  follow 


318  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

that  they  are  its  lawful  inhabitants  ;  for  there  are  certain 
ichneumon  flies  (of  which  we  shall  presently  treat)  which  are 
parasitic  upon  the  gall  insects,  and  take  their  place  within  the 
galls. 

Some  of  the  habitations  produced  by  these  insects  are  very 
beautiful.  For  example,  the  leaf-galls  of  the  oak  are  of  a 
pearly  translucency,  and  coloured  with  golden  yellow,  orange, 
and  red,  like  a  ripe  apple.  The  currant  galls,  which  hang  in 
strings  from  the  twigs,  are  similarly  beautiful  in  colouring, 
while  the  rich  crimson  bedeguar  of  the  rose,  with  its  thick, 
fur-like  clothing,  is  too  familiar  to  need  description. 

To  secure  the .  insects  which  inhabit  these  galls  is  easy 
enough.  Those  which  are  found  at  the  middle  or  end  of 
autumn  may  be  plucked,  together  with  the  part  of  the  tree 
to  which  they  are  attached,  and  placed  in  boxes,  each  box 
being  carefully  labelled  with  the  date  and  locality  of  the 
capture.  But  when  the  galls  are  found  at  the  beginning  of 
summer,  this  plan  often  fails,  because  the  galls  are  still  draw- 
ing nourishment  from  the  sap,  and,  unless  they  can  do  so,  the 
insect  does  not  obtain  sufficient  nutriment,  and  either  perishes 
before  it  can  make  its  way  through  the  partly  dried  walls  of 
its  habitation,  or  is  itself  withered,  shrivelled,  or  deformed,  in 
consequence  of  the  deterioration  of  its  food. 

In  such  cases,  the  best  plan  is  to  take  a  piece  of  green 
muslin  or  leno,  and  tie  it  loosely  over  the  gall.  In  gardens  or 
private  grounds  this  is  always  the  best  plan,  and,  even  in 
places  open  to  the  public,  the  green  muslin  will  mostly  escape 
observation.  Indeed,  it  is  often  so  difficult  to  discover,  that 
the  safest  plan  is  to  note  in  the  pocket-book  the  particular 
tree  and  branch  on  which  any  galls  have  been  thus  secured. 
It  is  rather  curious  that,  although  the  Grall-flies  can  gTiaw  their 
way  through  the  walls  of  their  former  habitations,  they  seldom, 
if  ever,  try  to  break  through  the  gauze  in  a  similar  manner, 
but  crawl  about  in  an  uncertain  way,  as  if  bewildered  with 
their  new  position. 

TjiEEE  is  one  small  but  remarkable  family  of  these  insects, 
called  the  Evaniidse,  in  which  the  relation,  size,  and  position 
of  the  abdomen  and  thorax  are  most  curiously  modified.  Like 
several  other  groups  of  insects  now  inhabiting  Britain,  they 


THE  EVANIID^.  319 

are  thought  by  many  entomologists  not  to  be  indigenous,  but 
to  have  been  brought  over  by  vessels,  and  to  have  acclimatised 
themselves. 

In  these  insects  the  thorax  is  enormously  large,  and  the 
abdomen  is  curiously  small,  scarcely  larger,  in  fact,  than  one 
of  the  hind-legs.  It  is  very  slender,  and  attached  to  the  upper 
part  of  the  thorax  by  a  slight  footstalk,  just  below  the  inser- 
tion of  the  wings.  In  some  species,  the  abdomen  is  barely 
half  the  size  of  one  of  the  hind  legs,  and  bears  about  the  same 
relative  proportion  to  the  thorax  that  a  comma  (such  as  this  ,) 
bears  to  the  capital  letter  0.  In  fact,  the  creature  seems  to 
be  all  legs  and  wings,  without  any  nutritive  apparatus. 

All  the  Evaniidae  are  small,  but  we  may  gain  some  idea  of 
their  remarkable  construction  if  we  take  the  head,  thorax, 
legs,  and  wings  of  a  wasp,  remove  the  abdomen  altogether, 
and  substitute  the  corresponding  part  of  a  gnat,  stuck  on 
the  upper  part  of  the  thorax,  just  at  the  base  of  the  wings. 
Only,  to  make  the  resemblance  clearer,  we  must  make  the 
hind  legs  nearly  twice  as  long,  and  flatten  the  tibiae  into  trian- 
gular plates.  The  Evaniidae  are  parasitic  in  their  nature,  but 
their  economy  is  not  yet  thoroughly  known. 


320  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 


CHAPTER   II. 
THE  ICHNEUMON  FLIES. 

"We  now  come  to  the  Ichneumonidae,  one  of  the  largest,  most 
important,  and  most  perplexing  groups  in  the  insect  world. 
They  are  termed  Ichneumonidae,  or  Ichneumon-flies — because 
they  enact  the  same  part  towards  various  insects  that  the  ichneu- 
mon was  said  to  act  towards  the  crocodile.  They  are  parasites 
upon  other  insects,  and  for  the  most  part  they  spend  their 
larval  existence  within  the  bodies  of  their  victims,  where  they 
lurk  unseen  and  unsuspected  until  the  time  comes  when  they 
have  to  change  their  forms.  In  this  family  the  abdomen  is 
attached  to  the  end  of  the  thorax,  and  not  to  its  upper  part, 
as  in  the  Evaniidse,  and  the  first  pair  of  wings  have  always 
'  perfect '  cells,  i.e.  cells  closed  on  all  sides  within  their  disc. 
The  ovipositor  of  the  females  is  straight,  and  the  antennae  are 
not  elbowed.  There  are  many  other  characters  of  this  family, 
but  these  are  sufficient  for  identification. 

The  first  and  typical  genus  of  this  family  is  Ichneumon,  in 
which  the  abdomen  is  rather  egg-shaped  but  oblong,  and  the 
ovipositor  is  not  external.  The  antennae  are  linear,  and  the 
wings  have  the  areolet  five-sided  and  boldly  marked.  The 
outer  cell  is  complete. 

Our  first  example  of  this  genus  is  given  on  Woodcut  XXXI. 
Fig.  1,  and  is  called  Ichneumon  proteus.  Why  it  should  have 
obtained  the  name  of  Proteus  is  more  than  I  can  understand. 
The  name  decidedly  implies  that  it  is  exceedingly  variable  in 
some  way,  but  in  a  long  series  that  I  have  examined  I  could 
not  find  any  variation  worth  noticing.  The  colour  of  this 
insect  is  black,  with  a  yellow  scutellum,  and  a  yellowish  patch 
in  the  middle  of  the  antennae.  The  wings  are  translucent,  but 
shaded  toward  the  tips. 

At  Fig.  2  of  the  same  Woodcut  is  shown  the  male  of  another 


THK  OVIPOSITOR  AS  A  WEAPON. 


321 


species  of  this  genus,  Ichneumon  crassorius.  In  this  insect 
there  is  a  bold  distinction  between  the  two  sexes,  the  females 
being  altogether  black,  with  the  exception  of  a  yellow  scutel- 
lum,  and  the  males  having  a  broad  band  of  orange-yellow  across 
the  middle  of  the  abdomen.  When  a  female  of  any  large 
species  of  Ichneumon  is  caught  in  the  hands,  she  uses  her  ovi- 
positor as  a  weapon  of  offence,  by  bringing  its  sharp  point 
against  the  skin.     She  cannot  do  any  injury,  for  she  has  no 


ZXZI 


1.  Ichneumon  proteus.  2.  Ichneumon  crassorius.  3.  Tryphon  rutilator.  4.  Cryptus 
migrator.  5.  Pinipla  instigator.  a.  Tryphon,  larva.  b.  Pimpla  instigator,  female,  pro- 
file of  abdomen.  c.  Do.,  dried  specimen,  d.  Do.,  seen  from  beneath,  e.  Do.,  abdomen  of 
male. 

poison  apparatus,  and  the  ovipositor   is   too  feeble  even   to 

penetrate  the   skin.     She  can,  however,  prick  sharply  enough 

to  cause  a  novice  to  think  that  she  really  has  a  sting,  and  to 
release  her  accordingly. 

We  now  come  to  the  genus  Ti-yphon,  in  which  the  tarsi  of 

Y 


322  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

the  hinder  legs  are  very  slender,  the  abdomen  has  a  very  short 
footstalk,  and  the  areolet  is  not  well  defined,  but  is  either 
triangular,  or  approaching  to  a  circular  form.  One  of  these 
insects,  Tryphon  rutilator,  is  drawn  on  Woodcut  XXXI.  Fig.  3. 
The  present  species  is  exceedingly  variable,  but  in  general 
the  head  and  thorax  are  black,  and  the  abdomen  dull  red  in 
the  middle,  with  a  black  base  and  tip.  A  rather  curious  cir- 
cumstance has  occasionally  happened  to  one  or  two  species  of 
this  genus.  The  eggs  had  been  extruded — probably  by  pres- 
sure when  the  insect  was  caught — and  remained  at  the  end  of 
the  abdomen,  where  they  were  hatched.  Having  no  proper 
food,  they  commenced  feeding  on  each  other.  One  of  the 
larvae  is  shown  at  Fig.  a. 

On  Plate  X.  Fig.  3,  is  seen  a  very  fine  Ichneumon-fly,  which 
is  called  Tragus  atropos.  In  this  genus  the  scutellum  is 
elevated,  the  head  is  large  and  wide,  the  abdomen  is  joined  to 
the  thorax  by  a  footstalk,  is  convex,  and  the  ovipositor  is  not 
protruded.  The  coloiir  of  this  species  is  black,  with  the 
scutellum  and  the  basal  half  of  the  abdomen  yellow. 

This  insect  preys  upon  the  caterpillar  of  the  Death's  Head 
Moth  {Acherontia  atropos),  one  of  which  is  partly  shown  in 
the  middle  of  the  Plate.  Those  who  rear  moths  from  the 
caterpillar  are  too  familiarly  acquainted  with  the  Ichneumon, 
for  it  often  happens  that,  after  watching  and  cherishing  a 
caterpillar  until  it  is  full-fed,  the  creature  dies,  and  from  its 
withering  body  proceeds  the  splendid  but  objectionable  Ich- 
neumon. It  is  in  consequence  of  choosing  this  caterpillar 
that  the  name  of  Atropos  has  been  given  to  the  insect. 

Another  species  of  Ichneumon  is  shown  on  "Woodcut  XXXI. 
Fig.  4,  and  is  called  Cryptus  migrator.  In  this  genus  the  ovi- 
positor is  rather  long  and  protruded.  In  other  respects  it  agrees 
with  the  preceding  genus.  This  is  rather  a  variable  species, 
but  in  general  it  is  black,  with  the  exception  of  the  abdomen, 
which  is  dark-red.  It  is  parasitic  on  solitary  bees,  belonging 
for  the  most  part  to  the  genus  Odynerus.  The  name  Cryptus, 
which  signifies  hidden,  was  given  to  the  insects  on  account  of 
the  manner  in  which  they  lie  hidden  in  the  bodies  of  their 
prey  until  they  are  developed.  This  is  a  very  large  genus, 
containing  some  sixty  species. 


THE  SPIDER  PARASITES.  323 

On  Plate  X.  Figs.  2,  3,  and  6,  are  d^a^vn  two  species  of  a 
most  curious  little  Ichneumon,  which  might  easily  be  thought 
not  to  be  a  winged  creature  at  all.  In  this  genus  the  abdomen 
has  a  footstalk,  and  the  ovipositor  is  short  and  protruded. 
The  wings  are  unfitted  for  flight.  The  generic  name  of  Pezo- 
machus  is  Greek,  and  signifies  a  foot-soldier.  It  is  given  to 
those  insects  because  the  females  are  unable  to  use  their  rudi- 
mentary wings. 

At  F'igure  6  is  represented  the  female  of  Pezomachus  zona- 
tiLS.  The  head  of  this  species  is  black,  and  the  rest  of  the 
body  is  yellow,  with  the  exception  of  two  black  belts  across 
the  abdomen,  from  which  the  insect  derives  its  name  of  zonatus, 
or  belted. 

In  Pezomachus  fasoiatus,  which  is  seen  at  Fig.  3,  the  female 
is  entirely  without  wings.  Its  colour  is  yellow,  and  it  has  a 
single  black  band  on  the  abdomen,  from  which  it  derives  its 
specific  name  of  fasciatus,  or  banded.  In  one  species,  Pezo- 
nnachus  hemipterus,  the  female  has  very  short  wings  with 
black  tips.  They  are,  however,  merely  rudimentary,  and  quite 
incapable  of  flight.  The  specific  name  of  hemipterus,  or  half- 
winged,  refers  to  this  structure. 

The  Pezomachi  are  parasitic  on  spiders,  and  can  be  almost 
always  obtained  by  using  the  sweep-net  among  grass  and 
bushes  where  the  spiders'  nests  abound.  There  is  a  very  common 
spider,  called  Agelena  brunnea,  which  makes  its  nest  on  furze 
and  grass,  and  then  covers  it  with  earth,  so  as  to  hide  the 
white,  glittering  silk  of  the  nest  itself.  From  these  nests  the 
Pezomachus  may  often  be  hatched.  In  all  cases,  the  male  is 
much  rarer  than  the  female,  and  the  surest  mode  of  procuring 
it  is  to  take  a  number  of  spiders'  nests  and  await  the  exit  of 
any  Pezomachi  that  may  happen  to  have  been  parasitic  on 
them. 

One  of  the  larger  species  of  Ichneumons  is  represented  on 
Woodcut  XXXI.  Fig.  5.  Its  name  is  Plmpla  tTistigator.  In 
this  genus  the  abdomen  has  no  footstalk,  and  is  smooth  and 
convex,  with  the  segments  marked  by  tubercles.  The  areolet 
is  triangular,  and  the  ovipositor  is  protruded. 

The  colour  of  this  species  is  black,  and  the  legs  are  reddish. 
It  is  a  wonderfully  variable  insect  in  point  of  size  ;  some  speci- 

T  2 


324  INSECTS  AT   HOME. 

mens  being  as  large  as  the  figure,  if  not  larger,  while  others 
are  no  bigger  than  gnats.  The  mode  in  which  the  Pimplas 
deposit  their  eggs  is  well  told  by  Mr.  Westwood : — 

'May  29,  1830,  I  observed  a  Pimpla,  with  the  ovipositor 
almost  as  long  as  the  body,  in  the  act  of  oviposition  in  a  dry 
paling,  which  had  been  much  perforated,  and  out  of  which  I 
had  just  dug  a  black  Pemphredon.  The  part  in  which  the 
ovipositor  was  introduced  appeared  to  be  quite  solid.  (Eeau- 
mur  represents  his  specimens  as  inserting  their  ovipositors 
in  a  circular  patch  of  dried  clay,  used  to  stop  up  the  entrance 
to  the  nest  of  the  intended  victim.)  There  were  several  very 
minute  blackish  spots,  as  they  seemed  to  be,  close  to  the  place 
where  the  ovipositor  was  inserted,  and  which  were  probably 
other  places  of  insertion  of  the  ovipositor. 

*  When  first  observed,  the  insect  had  introduced  about  half 
the  terebra  into  the  post,  the  part  remaining  uninserted  being 
at  right  angles  with  the  body,  the  sheaths  being  curved  and 
their  tips  being  brought  to  the  place  of  insertion,  thus  evidently 
strengthening  the  terebra  in  its  operations.  The  abdomen  was 
at  this  time  alternately  turned  from  left  to  right,  and  vice  versa, 
whereby  a  bradawl  kind  of  motion  was  given  to  the  terebra, 
enabling  it  to  penetrate  the  w^ood  to  a  greater  depth.  It  then 
alternately  partially  withdrew  and  replunged  the  terebra  into 
the  hole  thus  made,  as  though  in  the  act  of  passing  an  egg  or 
eggs,  standing  all  this  while  on  the  tips  of  the  tarsi.  On  cutting, 
however,  into  the  post,  I  was  not  able  to  discover  any  lignivorous 
larva,  finding  only  a  channel  of  fine,  white  pulverised  wood, 
which  had  been  made  by  a  previous  occupier  of  the 
tube.' 

Some  further  details  of  this  insect  are  given  on  Woodcut 
XXXI.  Fig.  b  shows  the  lateral  view  of  the  female  abdomen 
in  a  fresh  insect,  and  c  is  the  same  portion  of  a  dried  specimen. 
Fig.  d  shows  the  abdomen  as  seen  from  beneath,  and  Fig.  e 
shows  the  end  of  the  male  abdomen. 

Some  of  the  Ichneumons  have  wonderfully  long  and  slender 
ovipositors.  One  of  them,  Rhyssa  persuasoria,  is  shown  on 
Plate  X.  Fig.  5,  one  being  seen  in  the  act  of  depositing  her 
eggs,  and  the  other  to  be  flying.  In  thi^  genus  the  abdomen 
Is  without  a  footstalk,  long,  convex,  and  furnished  with  a  very 


PLATE    X. 
PARASITIC    HYMENOPTERA. 


1.  Pezomachua  zonatus  and  nests  of  Spider. 

2.  Pezomaclius  fasciatua. 

3.  Trogus  atropos. 

4.  Rhyssa  persuasoria. 

5.  Ehyssa  depositing  eggs, 

6.  Chelonus  oculator  (rather  magnified). 
Caterpillar  of  Death's  Head  Moth.     In  Middle. 

Plants  : — 

Willow.    Above. 

Dog-grass  (  Cynomrm).    In  Middle,  with  mud-nests  of  Spider. 

Wood  Sorrel  (^Oxalis  acetosella).    Below. 


THE  PRESERVEES  OF  THE  CABBAGE.  325 

long  ovipositor.  The  present  species  is  nearly  as  variable  in 
size  as  the  Pimpla  which  has  just  been  described.  Its  colour 
is  black,  diversified  by  bright  yellow  spots  along  the  sides  of 
the  thorax  and  body,  as  seen  in  the  illustration.  Like  some 
other  Ichneumons  with  very  long  ovipositors,  it  is  parasitic  on 
larvae  which  burrow  into  solid  wood. 

On  Plate  X.  Fig.  6,  is  seen  a  magnified  figure  of  a  curious 
insect,  called  Chelonus  oculator.  In  this  genus  there  are  two 
submarginal  cells,  the  first  of  which  is  not  complete.  The 
eyes  are  hairy.  This  species  is  not  a  common  insect,  and  seems 
to  be  a  local  and  recurrent  one.  Mr.  F.  Smith  tells  me  that  in 
one  day  he  took  more  than  fifty  specimens,  by  sweeping  the  grass 
on  the  top  of  the  cliffs  at  Lowestoft,  and  that  he  has  hardly  ever 
seen  as  many  since  as  he  took  on  that  one  occasion.  The 
colour  of  the  insect  is  black,  some  specimens,  particularly  the 
males,  having  a  yellow  band  across  the  abdomen.  It  is,  how- 
ever, very  variable  both  in  size  and  colour.  The  economy  of 
this  insect  is  very  curious,  and  is  not  thoroughly  cleared  up. 

On  Woodcut  XXXII.  Fig.  1,  may  be  seen  a  much  mao-nified 

illustration  of  a  very  small  but  singularly  useful  insect so 

useful,  indeed,  that  without  its  aid  we  should  scarcely  be  able 
to  raise  a  single  cabbage.  This  is  called  Microgaster  glome- 
ratus.  In  this  genus  the  eyes  are  hairy,  the  antennee  long  and 
consisting  of  eighteen  joints.  The  present  species  is  dark- 
bodied,  and  its  wings  are  translucent,  but,  when  viewed  through 
the  microscope,  are  wonderfully  beautiful,  glittering  with  every 
hue  of  the  rainbow  as  the  light  plays  over  them. 

This  little  insect  is  parasitic  on  the  common  Cabbage-cater- 
pillar, i.e.  the  larva  of  the  Oreat  Cabbage  White  Butterfly,  and 
so  rapidly  does  it  multiply  that,  after  watching  its  progress 
from  the  larva  to  maturity,  it  seems  strange  that  a  single 
Cabbage  White  Butterfly  should  be  found  in  the  country. 
Owing  to  its  numbers-,  the  young  entomologist  will  find  this 
insect  an  admirable  one  for  experiments.  If  a  hundred  Cab- 
bage-caterpillars be  captured,  there  will  be  only  one  or  two 
which  do  not  contain  the  larvae  of  the  Microgaster.  Their  rela- 
tive size  in  proportion  to  the  caterpillar  is  shown  at  Fio-.  c  of 
the  same  Woodcut,  but  neither  their  numbers  nor  their  position. 


326 


INSECTS  AT  HOME. 


If  a  '  stung '  caterpillar  be  carefully  dissected,  so  that  the  skin 
is  removed  from  the  body,  the  space  between  the  digestive 
organs  and  the  skin,  which  ought  to  be  occupied  by  a  layer 
of  fat,  is  found  to  be  literally  stuffed  with  the  tiny  white 
grubs  of  the  Microgaster. 

The  fatty  substance  on  which  these  larvae  feed  is  intended 


1.  Microgaster  glomeratus.  2.  Mymar  pulchellus.  3.  Teleas  elatior.  4.  CleonymuB  ma- 
ciilipennis.  a.  Teleas,  antenna,  female.  b.  Do.,  antenna,  male.  c.  Microgaster,  larva 
in  caterpillar  of  cabbage-butterfly.        rf.   Microgaster  alvearius,  cocoons. 


as  material  from  which  the  future  butterfly  is  to  be  evolved. 
But,  as  it  is  almost  entirely  consumed  by  these  internal  foes, 
the  insect  seldom  has  sufficient  strength  to  effect  its  change 
into  the  pupa — much  less  into  the  butterfly.  Just  in  propor- 
tion as  the  fat  decreases,  the  Ichneumon  larvae  increase,  so  that 
to  the  eye  the  caterpillar  looks  quite  plump  and  healthy,  when 
it  is  in  reality  absolutely  emaciated.    Yet  the  presence  of  these 


DEATH   OF  THE  CATERPILLAR.  327 

parasites  seems  to  have  no  effect  on  the  caterpillar,  who  eats  as 
voraciously  and  grows  as  rapidly  as  if  it  were  free  from  its  in- 
ternal devourers. 

All,  therefore,  goes  on  apparently  well,  until  the  time  when 
the  insect  ought  to  make  its  change  to  the  pupal  state,  being 
full-fed,  or  at  least  as  full-fed  as  it  can  be.  But  the  larvse  of 
the  Microgaster  are  full-fed  too  ;  and,  just  before  the  caterpillar 
changes  into  the  pupa,  they  burst  through  it  in  all  directions 
and  leave  it  to  die.  Generally,  it  dies  so  soon  that  its  shrivelled 
body  remains  in  the  midst  of  its  enemies,  and  it  seldom  has 
sufficient  strength  to  move  more  than  a  few  inches  away  from 
them.  The  Ichneumon  larvae  immediately  begin  to  spin  for 
themselves  little  yellow  cocoons  of  silk,  very  much  resembling 
that  of  a  silkworm,  and  clustered  closely  together.  I  have 
noticed  that  those  which  come  from  one  caterpillar  generally 
congregate  into  two  totally  distinct  clusters,  those  which  occu- 
pied the  different  sides  of  the  caterpillar  remaining  neighbours 
as  before.  The  specific  name  of  glomeratua,  or  clustered, 
refers  to  this  habit. 

Almost  any  number  of  these  cocoon-clusters  may  be  obtained 
from  the  Avails,  posts,  or  palings  that  adjoin  kitchen-gardens; 
and  the  tree-trunks  of  the  garden  are  equally  prolific  in  them. 
If  a  cocoon  be  cut  open  with  a  very  fine  pair  of  scissors,  the 
pu  pa  may  be  seen  lying  in  its  silken  cell,  and,  with  a  little  care, 
the  whole  progress  of  the  insect  can  be  watched,  from  the  lajva 
to  the  pupa.  I  have  dissected  great  numbers* of  cabbage  cater- 
pillars for  the  sake  of  observing  the  curious  relationship  between 
the  caterpillar  and  the  Ichneumon,  and  the  development  of 
the  latter  insect. 

There  is  a  closely  allied  species,  named  Microgaster  olveaHua, 
which  in  many  things  resembles  the  preceding  species,  but  which 
has  a  different  method  of  arranging  its  cocoons.  Those  of  the 
preceding  insect  are  arranged  quite  at  random,  or  indeed  can 
scarcely  be  said  to  be  arranged  at  all,  the  larvse  spinning  their 
cocoons  without  any  reference  as  to  the  position  in  which  they 
might  happen  to  be  at  the  time.  But,  the  present  insects 
when  they  are  about  to  change  into  the  pupal  state,  arrange 
their  cocoons  side  by  side  with  the  greatest  regularity,  as  seen 
at  Fig.  d  on  Woodcut  XXXII.    Masses  of  these  pretty  cocoons 


328  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

can  be  found  adhering  to  twigs,  and  from  them  the  insects  can 
be  procured  in  considerable  numbers.  I  find,  on  examining  a 
series  of  these  cocoon-masses,  that  the  number  of  individual 
cocoons  is  somewhere  about  one  hundred  and  fifty. 

When  the  pupa  changes  to  its  perfect  form,  it  gnaws  a  round 
hole  at  one  end  of  the  cocoon,  so  as  to  cut  out  a  sort  of  lid,  by 
raising  which  it  can  escape.  Very  often,  the  inverted  lid  is 
left  in  the  cut  end  of  the  cocoon  and  closes  it.  The  average 
length  of  the  cocoon-cluster  is  nine-tenths  of  an  inch,  its  width 
nearly  a  quarter  of  an  inch,  and  the  depth  of  cell  one-tenth  of 
an  inch.  The  insects  are  pale  and  shining  yellow,  with  the 
upper  part  of  the  abdomen  and  end  of  the  thorax  black. 

We  now  come  to  the  great  family  of  the  Chalcididse. 
These  insects  are  parasitic,  are  for  the  most  part  exceedingly 
small,  and  many  are  very  tiny  indeed.  The  head  is  trans- 
verse, the  eyes  set  on  the  sides,  and  the  antennae  are  short.- 
The  upper  pair  of  wings  are  almost  without  nervures,  though 
the  course  of  one  or  two  can  be  traced  by  careful  examination 
with  a  microscope.  The  lower  wings  have  only  a  single  nervure. 
They  are  parasitic  insects,  many  of  them  being  actually  para- 
sitic upon  other  parasites,  and  some  depositing  their  eggs  in 
various  galls,  where  they  feed  upon  the  rightful  inhabitants, 
and  in  due  time  make  their  appearance,  to  the  great  perplexity 
of  practical  entomologists  who  have  kept  the  galls  for  the  pur- 
pose of  rearing  the  particular  Grall-flies  which  belong  to  them. 

One  of  these  insects,  called  Cleonymus  maculipennis  or 
depressus,  is  shown  on  Woodcut  XXXII.  Fig.  4. 

It  is  a  very  pretty  little  insect,  the  colour  being  a  deep 
metallic  blue,  changing  to  green  and  pink  according  to  the 
variation  of  the  light.  The  antennae  are  red,  tipped  with  black, 
and  the  abdomen  is  flattened,  a  characteristic  which  gained  for 
it  the  name  of  depressus.  The  wings  are  prettily  mottled 
with  brown,  as  seen  in  the  illustration.  Mr.  F.  Smith  says 
that  he  has  often  seen  it  running  quickly  about  posts  and  rails, 
busily  engaged  in  prying  into  every  orifice,  probably  for  the 
sake  of  detecting  some  wood-boring  insect,  in  whose  body  it 
can  lay  its  eggs. 

In  this  genus  the  thorax  is  rather  long  and  egg-shaped,  the 


THE  MYMAR  AND  ITS  WINGS.  329 

antennae   have    eleven  joints,  the    second  of   which  is  longer 
than  the  fourth.     The  ovipositor  is  not  protruded. 

We  now  pass  to  the  family  of  Proctotrupidjp.  This  family 
comprises  some  of  the  smallest  known  Hymenoptera  ;  indeed, 
many  of  them  are  so  exceedingly  minute  that  they  can  only  be 
seen  by  the  aid  of  a  lens.  In  these  insects  the  hind  wings  have 
no  nervures  at  all,  while  those  of  the  fore  wings  are  but  few  in 
number.  The  antennae  have  the  first  joint  larger  than  the 
others,  and  in  some  species  they  are  as  long  as  the  body. 

One  of  the  larger  species  is  given  on  Woodcut  XXXII. 
Fig.  3.  Its  name  is  Teleas  elatior.  In  this  genus  the  legs  are 
formed  for  jumping,  the  abdomen  has  a  footstalk,  and  the 
antennae  have  twelve  joints,  and  are  hairy  in  the  male.  The 
male  antenna  is  shown  at  Fig.  6,  that  of  the  female  at  Fig.  a. 
The  colour  of  this  species  is  very  deep  black-blue,  and  the 
wings  are  very  iridescent. 

The  various  species  of  this  genus  deposit  their  eggs  in  the 
eggs  of  other  insects,  particularly  those  of  moths  and  butterflies, 
and  so  very  minute*  are  some  of  them  that  a  single  butterfly's 
egg  will  serve  for  the  support  of  several  Teleas'  larvae.  By  the 
assistance  of  these  tiny  parasites,  it  therefore  happens  that  even 
the  eggs  of  the  Lepidoptera  are  destroyed  before  they  can 
hatch,  and  so  our  gardens  and  crops  are  protected  by  friends  so 
exceedingly  minute  that  they  can  scarcely  be  seen  without  the 
aid  of  a  lens. 

Another  example  of  this  curious  family  is  given  on  Woodcut 
XXXII.  Fig.  2.  It  is  called  Mymar  pulchellus.  In  this 
genus  the  antennae  of  the  male  have  thirteen  joints,  while 
those  of  the  female  have  only  nine.  The  first  joint  is  very  lono- 
and  slender.  The  very  remarkable  little  insect  which  is  drawn 
in  the  illustration  has  the  lower  pair  of  wings  red.uced  to  mere 
bristles,  and  the  upper  pair  are  little  more  than  two  very  long 
nervures  with  a  broad  fringe  at  the  ends.  This  species  may 
be  taken  with  the  sweep-net  by  brushing  it  over  grass  throughout 
the  summer  and  autumn.  This  and  other  species  are  often  found 
crawling  up  the  window-panes  of  houses,  when  they  can  be  easily 
taken  by  putting  a  pill-box  over  them. 


330 


INSECTS  AT   HOME. 


The  next  group  of  this  enormous  array  of  Hymenoptera  is 
that  which  is  called  Tubulifera,  or  Tube-bearers,  because  the 
last  segments  of  the  abdomen  are  modified  into  a  telescopic 
and  retractile  tube.  The  antennae  are  elbowed.  Only  one 
family  belongs  to  this  group,  namely,  the  Chrysididse,  popularly 


XKXili 


1.  Chrysis  ignita.        2.  Mutilla  Europsea,  female.        3.  Mutilla  Europsea,  male.      4.  Eormica 
rufa,  winged  female.  5.  Do.,  neuter  or  worker.         6.  Do.,  winged  male.  a.  Formica 

rufa,  labium.        b.  Do.,  antenna,  male.        c.  Do.,  antenna,  worker. 


called  Euby-tailed  flies,  and  familiarly  known  on  account  of 
their  splendid  colouring. 

At  first  sight  the  abdomen  appears  to  consist  of  a  very  few 
segments,  sometimes  three,  and  five  at  the  utmost,  but,  in  fact, 
the  missing  segments  are  modified  into  the  telescopic  tube 
which  has  just  been  mentioned,  and  which  is  retracted  within 
the  body  when  not  required  for  its  legitimate  purpose,  namely, 
the  deposition  of  eggs.    The  abdomen  is  attached  to  the  thorax 


THE  EUBY-TAILED  FLIES.  331 

by  a  very  short  foot-stalk.  In  consequence  of  the  mode  by 
which  the  abdomen  is  attached,  the  insect  is  able,  when  alarmed, 
to  roll  itself  up  into  a  ball,  in  which  it  is  aided  by  the  shape  of 
the  abdomen,  the  under  surface  of  which  is  concave  so  as  to 
receive  the  thorax.  At  the  end  of  the  retractile  tube,  is  a 
small,  sting-like  ovipositor,  capable,  as  I  can  testify  from  ex- 
perience, of  inflicting-  a  smart  prick  when  the  insect  is  moved 
to  anger.  There  is,  however,  no  poison-gland,  so  that  the  prick, 
though  it  may  startle,  cannot  injm-e. 

The  Euby-tailed  flies  are  among  the  most  beautiful  of  our 
insects,  and  if  they  were  only  enlarged,  might  challenge  the 
most  gorgeous  productions  of  the  tropics  for  brilliant  splendour. 
The  head  and  "thorax  are  coloured  with  vivid  blue  or  green, 
and  the  abdomen  is  of  a  fiery  ruby,  looking,  as  the  insect  flits 
about  in  the  sunshine,  as  if  made  of  burnished  metal.  Five 
genera  of  these  insects  are  known  to  inhabit  England,  contain- 
ing altogether  about  twenty-four  species.  They  are  all  para- 
sitic upon  other  insects,  mostly  affecting  the  larvae  of  solitary 
Hymenoptera,  among  which  the  well-known  Sand-wasp  {Ody- 
nerus)  is  so  frequently  the  victim  that  Dr.  Chapman,  who  has 
paid  great  attention  to  the  Chrysididse,  states  that  'the  de- 
struction caused  by  Chrysididae  amongst  the  young  brood  of 
Odynerus  spinipes,  roughly  measured  by  the  cocoons  collected 
last  winter,  is  in  the  proportion  of  one  to  three  of  those  of  the 
wasp.'  The  mode  in  which  these  paiasitic  insects  achieve  their 
task  is  so  well  narrated  by  Dr.  Chapman  that  I  cannot  do  better 
than  quote  his  own  words. 

'  On  July  1 7th  I  observed  a  nest  of  Odynerus  paHetum,  with 
one  cell  open,  and  containing  a  nearly  complete  supply  of 
Lepidopterous  larvae.  A  Ghrysis  ignita,  flying  about,  settled 
beside  the  cell;  and,  after  a  brief  examination  with  her 
antennae,  wheeled  round,  and  introducing  her  abdomen  into 
the  cell,  rested  for  about  twenty  seconds,  doubtless  in  the  act 
of  oviposition.  I  now  regret  that  I  did  not  then  examine  the 
contents  of  the  cell,  in  order  to  ascertain  the  fate  of  the  egg 
of  Odynerus  parietum.  Three-quarters  of  an  hour  later, 
Odynerus  parietum  had  closed  the  cell  with  the  usual  earthen 
pellets.  Two  days  afterwards  I  examined  this  cell,  when  I 
found  a  larva  of  Ch^sis  ignita  a  quarter  of  an  inch  long, 
together  vrith  the  Lepidopterous  larvae  stored  by  the  wasp,  but 


332  INSECTS  AT   HOME. 

there  was  no  trace  of  either  egg  or  larva  of  the  latter.  On  the 
23rd,  six  days  from  the  date  of  oviposition,  the  Chrysis  larva 
had  eaten  all  the  store,  and  was  full-fed.  I  obtained  evidence, 
by  finding  the  exuvise,  of  its  having  cast  its  skin  three  times, 
whilst  under  observation ;  and  from  the  analogy  of  Chrysis 
bidentata,  I  believe  it  had  done  so  four  times  altogether.  The 
stored  larvae  had  all  been  eaten,  their  heads  alone  remaining, 
just  as  when  eaten  by  the  wasp  grub.  The  larva  then  spun  a 
cocoon,  which  I  know  to  be  typical  of  C.  ignita.  This  was  the 
only  occasion  on  which  I  had  a  feeding  larva  of  C.  ignita,  and 
the  rapidity  with  which  it  fed  up  astonished  me.  None  of  my 
G.  neglecta  or  bidentata  fed  up  so  rapidly;  but  the  warm 
sunny  wall  on  which  0.  parietum  had  built  her  nest  may  partly 
account  for  this,  my  larvae  of  the  other  two  species  having  been 
kept  comparatively  cool. 

'  Ghi'ysis  bidentata,  when  about  to  deposit  her  eggs,  searches 
for  a  full-grown  larva  of  Odynerus  spinipes  at,  or  immedi- 
ately after,  the  period  of  spinning.  0.  spinipes,  on  the  com- 
pletion of  her  burrow,  fills  up  the  mouth  with  clay  long  before 
the  most  accessible  cells  can  contain  full-grown  larvae ;  but  it 
happens  that,  in  a  large  proportion  of  cases  (about  half),  the 
wasp  meets  with  some  accident,  and  her  burrow  remains  un- 
completed, the  cell  last  constructed  being  thus  only  protected 
by  the  wall  of  clay  that  was  to  serve  as  a  party  wall  between 
it  and  the  succeeding  one,  had  the  wasp  lived  to  complete  her 
work.  Such  slightly  protected  cells  are  those  chosen  by 
G.  bidentata  for  her  oviposition.  I  once  found  satisfactory 
evidence  of  G.  bidentata  having  burrowed  through  half  an 
inch  of  the  clay  stopping  placed  by  the  wasp  over  one  of  these 
cells.  The  parasite  was  in  the  burrow,  covered  with  the  dust 
brought  down  into  it  by  her  excavation  to  form  an  entrance — 
a  passage  too  small  for  the  wasp  to  enter,  but  just  large 
enough  for  herself ;  and  in  the  cell  thus  reached  by  her  were  to 
be  seen  her  eggs,  freshly  deposited.  On  another  occasion,  a 
G.  bidentata  alighted  on  a  spot  I  was  examining,  and  where  I 
had  partially  exposed  some  cocoons  of  0.  spinipes  :  she  com- 
menced to  carefully  investigate  them  with  her  antennns,  and 
now  and  then  to  scratch  away  some  earth  partly  covering 
them ;  she  did  not,  however,  deposit  any  egg,  possibly  because 
tlie  inmates  of  the  cocoons  were  not  in  proper  condition. 


PERSEVERANCE  AND  ITS  REWAED.  333 

'When  a  cocoon  contains  eggs  of  C.  b'ldentata,  there  is  often 
to  be  found,  at  its  upper  end,  a  minute  aperture,  through 
which  the  ovipositor  of  the  Chrysis  has  been  thrust ;  at  other 
times,  this  aperture  is  wanting,  simply,  I  believe,  because  the 
larva  of  0.  spinq^es  had  not  done  spinning  her  cocoon  when 
the  Chrysis  dejiosited  her  eggs  within  it.  There  is  nearly 
always  a  small  spot  outside  on  the  yellow  silken  top  of  the 
cocoon,  as  if  the  Chrysis  had  attacked  it  first  with  her  jaws ; 
and  those  containing  C.  bidentata  may  be  selected  by  this  mark 
from  a  number  of  cocoons  of  the  Odynerus. 

'  The  young  larva  of  C.  bidentata  seizes  that  of  0.  spinipes 
with  its  jaws,  pinching  up  a  fold  of  skin,  and  contrives  to 
extract  fluid  nutriment  from  it,  without,  apparently,  making 
any  aperture  in  the  skin,  until  it  approaches  to  mature  growth 
itself.  I  have  very  carefully  examined  larvae  of  0.  spinipes 
that  were  thus  half  sucked  away  (I  cannot  say  eaten),  and  I 
could  find  no  mark  at  the  spot  whence  I  had  just  removed  a 
larva  of  Chrysis.  I  have  several  times  squeezed  the  Odynerus 
larva  firmly,  without  any  fluid  exuding :  even  when  squeezed 
almost  to  bursting,  on  only  one  occasion  did  a  drop  of  clear 
flu.id  exude.  Nor  is  the  Chrysis  larva  particular  as  to  where . 
it  seizes  the  Odynerus,  any  point  that  may  offer  itself  to  its 
jaws  being  seized. 

'  When  the  devourer  is  nearly  full-grown,  and  the  victim  is 
very  flaccid,  a  process  that  may  be  called  eating  takes  place, 
and  the  spinipes  larva  almost  entirely  disappears.  The  manner 
in  which  the  larvae  of  C.  negleda  and  ignita  and  of  0.  spinipes 
itself  eat  the  little  green  grubs  is  precisely  similar.  When 
young,  they  merely  suck  the  juices  of  several,  and  sometimes 
return  to  and  finish  these  when  they  are  larger,  but  they  may 
often  be  found  neglected  when  the  larva  is  full-grown.' 

These  insects  are  wonderfully  persevering  in  their  attempts 
to  deposit  their  eggs.  A  French  naturalist  mentions  that  he 
saw  one  of  them  enter  the  nest  of  a  solitary  bee  which  builds 
in  the  holes  of  walls,  while  the  bee  was  absent  in  search  of  the 
pollen  on  which  the  young  larva  was  to  feed.  She  happened 
to  return  while  the  Euby-tail  was  still  in  the  nest,  and  at  once 
attacked  the  intruder,  which  endeavoured  to  avoid  her  jaws  by 
rolling  into  a  ball,  after  the  fashion  of  her  kind.  The  bee, 
however,  persevered  in  her  attacks,  bit  off  all  the  enemy's  wings, 


334  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

dragged  her  out  of  the  nest,  threw  her  to  the  ground,  and  pro- 
ceeded to  deposit  her  load  of  pollen  in  the  cell.  She  then 
flew  off  in  search  of  a  further  supply,  when  the  Euby-tail, 
all  mangled  as  she  was,  crawled  up  the  wall,  re-entered  the 
nest,  and  succeeded  in  depositing  her  egg,  which  she  pushed 
carefully  between  the  pollen  and  the  wall  of  the  cell,  so  that 
the  bee  should  not  see  it  on  her  return. 


CHAPTER   III. 

.  ANTS  AND  DIGGERS. 

The  insects  which  compose  the  remainder  of  the  Hjnnenoptera 
have  been  arranged  by  Mr.  F.  Smith,  who  has  brought  to  bear 
upon  them  an  enormous  amount  of  labour  and  knowledge. 
His  arrangement  and  definitions  will  be  observed  in  this  work. 
He  divides  them  primarily  into  four  tribes,  the  first  of  which 
is  called  Heterogtna.  These  insects  are  sometimes  solitary 
and  sometimes  social,  the  latter  being  more  common  than  the 
former.  The  social  species  have  apparently  three,  but  really 
only  two  sexes,  namely,  perfect  males,  perfect  females,  and 
workers,  which  are,  in  fact,  partially  developed  females.  The 
males  are  always  winged,  but  the  females  only  possess  these 
organs  temporarily.  As  to  the  solitary  species,  the  females 
are  altogether  without  wings. 

The  first  division  of  the  tribe  is  the  Aculeata,  or  sting- 
bearers.  In  them,  the  females  have  an  abdomen  consisting  of 
six  segments,  and  furnished  with  a  sting.  The  antennae  have 
twelve  joints.  The  antennae  of  the  males  have  thirteen  joints, 
and  the  abdomen  has  seven  segments,  but  has  no  sting.  In 
fact,  as  the  sting  is  a  modification  of  the  ovipositor,  it  follows 
that  no  male  insect  can  possess  a  sting. 

We  pass  to  the  first  family  of  these  insects,  the  Formicidae, 
or  Social  Ants.  In  this  family  the  head  is  more  or  less  trian- 
gular, and  the  basal  joint  of  the  antennae  is  extremely  long, 
often  occupying  half  the  length  of  the  entire  organ,  and  form- 
ing a  bold  elbow  at  the  juncture  with  the  third  joint.  The 
eyes  are  placed  at  the  sides  of  the  head,  and  do  not  reach  to  its 
top.  In  the  perfect  males  the  ocelli  are  three  in  number,  set 
triangularly,  and  larger  than  those  of  the  opposite  sex.  The 
wings  are  large  and  delicate,  and  only  exist  in  the  males  and 


33(5  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

females,  the  workers,  or  neuters,  as  they  are  sometimes  called, 
being  wingless. 

Our  first  example  of  this  most  interesting  group  is  the 
Woou-Ais'T,  Hokse-Ant,  or  Hill- Ant  {Formica  rufa),  which  is 
shown  on  Woodcut  XXXIII.  Figs.  4,  5,  6,  all  the  figures  being 
magnified.  At  Fig.  4  is  shown  the  perfect  male,  at  Fig.  6 
the  perfect  female,  and  at  Fig.  5  the  imiDerfect  female,  neuter, 
or  worker. 

These  are  our  largest  British  ants,  the  female  exceeding  a 
third  of  an  inch  in  length,  and  the  male  being  only  a  little 
less.  The  workers  are  of  two  sizes,  one  rather  more  than  a 
quarter  of  an  inch  in  length,  and 'the  other  about  the  fifth  or 
sixth  of  an  inch.  In  the  female,  the  head  and  thorax  are  rust- 
red,  and  the  abdomen  black.  The  wings  are  translucent  milky 
white,  with  a  tinge  of  brown  towards  the  base.  The  male  is 
yellowish-black,  with  red  legs,  and  has  wings  like  those  of  the 
female.  The  larger  workers  are  coloured  much  like  the  per- 
fect female,  but  there  is  more  black  about  them.  The  smaller 
workers  are  generally  darker  than  their  larger  sisters  of  labour. 

This  is  one  of  the  commonest  species  of  British  ants,  as  is 
evident  from  the  fact  that  it  has  three  popular  names.  It  is 
termed  Wood-Ant  because  it  prefers  woods  for  its  habitation  ; 
Horse- Ant,  because  it  is  larger  than  the  other  species  ;  and 
Hill-Ant  on  account  of  the  shape  of  its  nests.  These  nests  are 
very  common  in  our  woods,  and  especially  plentiful  in  fir- 
woods,  because  in  them  the  needle-like  leaves  of  the  fir-trees 
fall  in  numbers  to  the  ground,  and  afford  material  ready  pre- 
pared for  making  the  hillocks  in  which  are  concealed  those 
portions  of  the  habitation  which  are  above  ground.  .Sometimes 
the  ants  further  protect  themselves  by  taking  advantage  of  a 
tree  which  is  hollow  to  the  ground,  and  building  their  nests 
within  it. 

In  order  to  form  this  external  nest,  which  is  often  of  enor- 
mous size,  the  ants  travel  to  great  distances,  always  following 
some  definite  track,  which  in  course  of  time  is  plain  to  the 
eye,  even  though  all  the  ants  be  within  their  nest.  When 
once  these  ants  have  taken  to  a  track,  tliey  adhere  to  it,  and 
many  successive  generations  continue  to  use  it.  I  have  been 
shown  ant-roads  by  old  men,  who  stated  that  they  have  been 
familiar  with  them  from  their  earliest  recollections.     On  a  fine 


THE  WOOD  ANT  AT  HOME.  337 

day,  it  is  very  interestiiifr  to  watch  the  Ants  travelling  back- 
wards and  forwards  on  these  roads,  some  going  out  to  their 
work,  and  others  returning  with  bits  of  stick,  blades  of  grass, 
small  leaves,  and  other  materials  for  the  nest.  Some,  again, 
carry  in  their  jaws  caterpillars,  flies,  and  other  insects  for  food, 
and  in  all  cases,  whenever  a  caterpillar  or  a  grub  is  carried,  it 
is  held  by  one  end  of  the  body,  so  that  it  projects  straight  in 
front  of  the  Ant. 

Some  Ants  are  detailed  to  climb  the  trees  near  the  path,  m 
search  of  aphides  or  other  insects,  and  in  many  cases,  if  a  tree 
be  examined  closely,  it  will  be  found  to  swarm  with  Ants,  even 
to  the  ends  of  the  twigs.  A  smart  kick  to  the  trunk  of  the 
tree  will  often  bring  down  quite  a  shower  of  Wood  Ants,  many 
of  them  retaining  in  their  jaws  the  prey  which  they  "had  cap- 
tured. 

The  nest,  towards  which  all  their  labours  tend,  is  mostly 
built  under  some  sort  of  cover,  such  as  a  bush  or  tree,  though 
many  nests  are  totally  unconcealed.  It  consists  of  two  por- 
tions, one  below  the  surface  of  the  ground,  and  the  other  above 
it.  Though  it  is  made  of  such  fragile  materials  as  small  twigs 
and  leaves,  which  are  put  together  without  any  cement  or 
without  being  even  interwoven,  it  is  tolerably  firm  in  its  struc- 
ture, and  completely  riddled  with  chambers  and  passages,  all 
communicating  with  each  other.  In  consequence  of  the  loose 
architecture  of  the  nest,  it  is  a  very  difficult  business  to  see  its 
internal  economy,  the  walls  of  the  chambers  and  passages 
falling  to  pieces  as  soon  as  the  nest  is  opened,  and  leaving  not 
a  vestige  of  their  presence  except  the  unfortunate  inhabitants 
which  they  contained. 

I  have,  however,  succeeded  in  obtaining  an  excellent  view 
into  the  interior  of  a  Wood  Ants'  nest,  though  it  was  but  a 
short  one.  Accompanied  by  my  friend  Mr.  H.  J.  B.  Hancock, 
I  was  visiting  some  remarkably  fine  Wood  Ants'  nests  neai 
Bagshot.  We  took  with  us  a  large  piece  of  plate-glass,  placed 
it  edgewise  on  the  top  of  an  ant-hill,  and,  standing  one  at  each 
side,  cut  the  nest  comjjletely  in  two,  leaving  the  glass  almost 
wholly  buried  in  it.  After  the  expiration  of  a  few  weeks, 
during  which  time  the  Ants  could  repair  damages,  we  returned 
to  the  spot,  and,  with  a  spade,  removed  one  side  of  the  nest  as 
far  as  the  glass,  which  then  served  as  a  window  through  wbicLt 

z 


338  INSECTS  AT   HOME. 

we    could   look   into    the   nest.       It  was   really   a   wonderful 
sight. 

The  ant-hill  was  honeycombed  into  passages  and  cells,  in 
all  of  which  the  inhabitants  were  hurriedly  running  about, 
being  alarmed  at  the  unwonted  admission  of  light  into  their 
dwellings.  In  some  of  the  chambers  the  pupse  were  treasured, 
and  these  chambers  were  continually  entered  by  Ants,  which 
picked  up  the  helpless  pupae  and  carried  them  to  other  parts  of 
the  nest  where  the  unwelcome  light  had  not  shown  itself. 
Unfortunately,  this  view  lasted  only  a  short  time.  Owing  to 
the  partial  decomposition  of  the  vegetable  substances  of 
which  the  Ants'  nest  is  made,  the  interior  is  always  hot  and 
always  moist.  Now,  the  day  on  which  we  visited  the  nest 
happened  to  be  a  cold  one,  and,  in  consequence,  the  moisture 
of  the  nest  was  rapidly  condensed  on  the  inner  surface  of  the 
glass,  and  in  a  few  minutes  completely  hid  the  nest  from  view, 
leaving  me  only  time  to  make  a  rapid  sketch.  Unfortunately 
some  one  discovered  the  plate  of  glass  and  stole  it.  Next  time 
that  I  examine  a  Wood  Ants'  nest  I  shall  take  care  to  insert 
the  glass  exactly  east  and  west,  and  shall  open  its  southern  side 
towards  noon  on  a  hot,  sunshiny  day,  so  that  the  rays  of  the 
sun  may  warm  the  glass  and  prevent  evaporation. 

At  the  bottom  of  Plate  XI.  part  of  this  nest  is  shown,  with 
the  Ants  running  to  and  fro  and  carrying  off  the  white  pupse 
which  are  lying  in  the  passages.  On  the  left  hand,  near  the 
bottom,  may  be  seen  that  curious  little  beetle,  Quedius 
brevis,  which  has  so  strange  a  habit  of  living  in  the  nests  of 
this  Ant.  This  beetle  has  been  described  on  page  75.  No  less 
than  twenty  species  of  beetles  have  been  found  by  Dr.  Power 
inhabiting  the  nest  of  this  Ant.  When  the  nest  is  disturbed  a 
very  pungent  vapour  arises,  not  unlike  that  of  strong  vinegar, 
and  grievously  affects  both  the  eyes  and  nostrils.  This  is 
caused  by  the  formic  acid,  which  is  secreted  by  Ants  in  great 
quantities.  Indeed,  it  is  so  plentiful  that  in  some  parts  of  the 
world  '  ant-vinegar '  is  made  by  steeping  Ants  in  boiling  water 
and  extracting  the  formic  acid  from  them. 

Mention  has  been  made  of  the  pupae  of  the  Ant.  These  are 
the  little,  oval,  white  bodies  that  are  popularly  called  '  ants 
eggs.'  The  transformations  of  the  Ant  tribe  are  very  simple. 
The  larva  is  fed  by  the  nurses  until  it  is  full-grown,  when  il 


THE  BLACK  ANT.  339 

sets  to  work  and  spins  for  itself  a  cocoon  in  which  it  is  entirely 
enveloped.  The  charge  of  these  cocoons  falls  upon  the  workers, 
and  admirable  nurses  they  are.  They  take  the  greatest  care  of 
the  cocoons,  continually  shifting  them  to  higher  or  lower  parts 
of  the  nest  according  to  the  temperature  of  the  day.  If  one  of 
these  cocoons  be  opened  the  insect  is  found  lying  inside  it, 
nearly  as  white  as  its  habitation,  and  having  its  limbs  tucked 
against  its  body.  The  cocoons  are  of  dififerent  sizes,  the  largest 
containing  those  of  the  perfect  males  and  females,  the  next  size 
those  of  the  larger  workers,  and  the  smallest  those  of  the  little 
workers. 

When  the  perfect  insects  are  developed,  they  often  make 
their  appearance  in  vast  multitudes,  and,  as  they  are  not  able 
to  direct  their  flight  against  the  wind,  are  blown  about  at 
random  just  as  the  breeze  happens  to  turn.  Sometimes  they 
fall  into  the  river,  where  the  iish  hold  high  festival  over  them, 
and,  out  of  the  swarms  which  leave  a  nest  only  a  very  few 
survive  and  found  fresh  colonies.  Indeed,  were  they  all  to  live, 
or  were  even  a  moderate  percentage  to  survive,  the  whole  country 
would  be  eaten  up  by  the  Wood  Ant  alone  in  a  few  years. 
Supposing,  however,  a  pair  to  have  escaped  the  many  dangers 
of  their  flight,  they  disrobe  themselves  of  their  wings,  and  do 
so,  not  by  tearing  them  from  their  insertions,  but  by  simply 
unhitching  them.  The  wings  are  thrown  well  forward,  and  the 
insect  sharply  presses  their  ends  against  the  ground,  when  they 
immediately  fall  oflF,  and  are  left  lying  where  they  fell,  the  Ant 
running  away,  apparently  quite  pleased  at  being  rid  of  its 
beautiful  wings. 

The  habits  of  other  British  Ants  are,  on  the  whole,  very 
much  like  those  of  the  Wood  Ant,  though  each  species  has 
some  peculiarity  of  its  own.  For  example,  the  Black  Ant 
(Formica  fuliginosa)  is  remarkable  for  its  sluggish  natm-e,  so 
different  from  the  quick,  active  fussiness  of  Ants  in  general. 
If  a  nest  of  the  Black  Ant  be  opened  the  insects  take  it  very 
easily,  moving  gently  and  quietly  as  if  half-paralysed.  How- 
ever, ^vith  all  their  slowness,  they  seem  to  have  a  very  good 
idea  of  taking  care  of  themselves,  and  contrive  to  sHp  out  of 
sight,  while  the  more  active  Yellow  or  Eed  Ants  would  be 
fussing  about,  trying  one  means  of  escape  after  another. 


z  2 


340  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

Sometimes  two  entirely  distinct  species  of  Ant  may  be  found 
to  occupy  different  sides  of  the  same  hillock,  and  I  have  found 
the  Black  Ant  and  the  Yellow  Ant  under  the  bark  of  a  little 
fir-stump  about  seven  inches  in  diameter.  Until  I  took  off 
the  bark  I  was  not  aware  of  their  existence ;  and  it  was  a  very 
curious  sight  to  see  two  distinct  colonies  in  such  close  proximity, 
yet  neither  interfering  with  the  other.  Mr.  F.  Smith  mentions 
that  he  has  found  a  nest  of  another  ant,  Myrrrdca  Icevinodis, 
within  a  hill  made  by  the  Wood-Ant.  Myrmica  nitidula  has 
been  taken  in  the  same  locality. 

The  Eed  Ant  {Formica  sanguinea)  is  worthy  of  some  notice, 
because  it  is  one  of  the  slave-making  species.  It  invades  the 
nests  of  other  Ants  and  carries  off  the  pupae,  and  transfers  them 
to  its  own  nest.  The  captors  take  as  much  care  of  them  as  of 
their  own  pupse  ;  and,  when  they  assume  the  perfect  form,  make 
slaves  of  them.  Mr.  Smith  mentions  no  less  than  four  species 
of  Ants  which  are  thus  imprisoned  and  enslaved  by  the  Eed  Ant. 
The  large  workers  resemble  the  females  in  colour,  and  vary  in 
length  from  the  third  to  the  fourth  of  an  inch.  They  are 
fierce  and  courageous,  and  by  them  tlie  nests  of  other  Ants  are 
stormed  and  the  pupae  carried  off  as  spoils  of  war.  The  small 
worker  is  rather  duller  in  hue,  the  crown  of  the  head,  the 
middle  of  the  thorax,  and  the  legs  being  rather  dun  than  red. 

The  colour  of  the  female  is  blood-red,  slightly  toned  down 
with  a  very  fine  ashen  dun.  The  abdomen  is  reddish-black, 
and  so  are  the  top  of  the  head  and  the  face.  The  wings  re- 
semble those  of  the  Wood  Ant.  The  male  resembles  that  of 
the  Wood  Ant,  but  is  redder.  This  Ant  is  not  very  generally 
distributed  throughout  England,  but  is  plentiful  in  some 
places,  such  as  the  New  Forest. 

There  is  a  very  singular  family  of  Ants,  called  MutillidcB,  or 
Solitary  Ants,  very  few  of  which  are  known  to  inhabit  Eng- 
land. This  is  rather  curious,  because  they  are  very  plentiful 
in  most  quarters  of  the  globe,  and  seem  equally  at  home  in  the 
hottest  and  coldest  climates.  More  than  three  hundred  species 
of  the  Solitary  Ant  are  in  the  British  Museum,  and  this  num- 
ber will  probably  be  increased  as  soon  as  practical  entomologists 
get  to  work  in  various  parts  of  the  world  which  have  hitherto 


«      THE  DIGGERS.  341 

not  been  explored  by  them.  In  these  Ants  there  are  no 
workers  or  neuters,  and  the  males  are  always  winged  and  the 
females  without  wings.  The  legs  of  the  female  are  strong  and 
used  for  burrowing. 

On  Woodcut  XXXIII.  Fig.  2,  is  shown  the  female  of  one  of 
our  few  species,  Mutilla  Europcea,  the  male  being  drawn  at 
Fig.  3.  In  this  insect  the  principal  colours  are  black  and 
yellow.  The  head  and  legs  are  black,  the  thorax  is  rust-red,  and 
the  abdomen  is  shining  black,  with  a  band  of  pale,  shining 
yellow  hair  on  the  first,  second,  and  third  segments.  The  legs 
are  black,  and  covered  with  liair  and  bristles.  The  male  is 
steely-blue  rather  than  black,  the  thorax  is  redder  than  in  the 
female,  and  the  wings  are  dusky,  darkening  on  the  edges  to- 
wards the  tips.  This  is  a  scarce,  though  widely-distributed 
insect,  and  lias  been  taken  in  that  very  fertile  locality,  Darenth 
Wood.     It  is  also  found  in  the  New  Forest. 

It  is  a  parasitic  insect,  the  larva  of  the  Mutilla  feeding  on 
that  of  the  Humble  Bee.  In  Denmark,  out  of  a  nest  of 
Humble  Bees  containing  nearly  eighty  cells,  only  two  of  the 
legitimate  inhabitants  were  hatched,  and  seventy-six  Mutillas, 
forty-four  being  males  and  the  remainder  females.  The 
JNIutillidse  are  not  all  parasitic  on  Humble  Bees ;  as,  in  coun- 
tries where  Humble  Bees  are  very  scarce,  the  Mutillidas  are 
plentiful ;  while  in  England,  where  the  Humble  Bees  and  their 
nests  are  so  common,  the  MutillidaB  are  very  scarce. 

We  now  come  to  the  Diggers,  and  take  first  the  family  of 
Pompilidce,  in  which  the  thorax  is  broad — sometimes  broader 
than  it  is  long,  and  sometimes  slightly  squared.  The  hinder  mar- 
gins are  rather  angular,  the  legs  are  long,  and  the  abdomen  is  at- 
tached to  the  thorax  by  a  short  footstalk.  On  Woodcut  XXXIV. 
Fig.  1,  is  shown  one  of  these  insects,  called  Pompilus  fuscus, 
slightly  enlarged,  so  as  to  show  better  the  formation  of  the 
wing.  In  this  genus  the  head  is  wide,  and  set  transversely  on 
the  thorax,  and  the  three  ocelli  are  placed  in  a  triangle  on  the 
forehead.  The  antennae  of  the  female  form  a  curl  at  the  end, 
as  represented  in  the  illustration,  while  those  of  the  male  are 
only  bent.  The  front  wings  have  one  marginal  and  three  sub- 
marginal  cells.  The  hind  legs  are  long,  and  their  claws  have 
a  little  pad  between   them.     The  abdomen  is   longer  in  the 


342 


INSECTS  AT  HOME. 


female  than  in  the  male.     At  Fig.  a  is  shown  the  maxillary 
palpus,  and  at  Fig.  b  the  labium. 

These  insects  are  all  burrowers,  and  vary  much  in  the  soil 
which  they  prefer  for  their  tunnels.  The  present  species  pre- 
fers such  soil  as  is  found  on  sandy  heaths,  and,  as  it  is  plentiful 
all  over  Eiigiand,  may  be  captured   almost  anywhere.     The 


XIXIM 


1.  Pompilus  fuscus.  2.  Astata  boops.  3.  Mellinns  arvensig.  4.  Crabro  quadrimaculatiis. 
5.  Cerceris  arvensis.  a.  Pompilns,  maxilla  and  palpus.  b.  Do.,  labium.  c.  Mellinus, 
mandible.  d.  Do.,  labium.  e.  Do.,  maxilla  and  palpus.  /.  Crabro,  larva.  g.  Astata, 
head  of  female. 


object  of  the  burrow  is  to  form  a  retreat  for  its  young ;  and, 
when  the  tunnel  is  formed,  the  insect  lays  an  egg  in  it,  nearly 
fills  the  hole  with  spiders,  and  then  closes  its  mouth.  The 
young  Pompilus,  when  hatched,  begins  to  feed  upon  the  spiders, 
and  the  mother  insect  is  taught  by  instinct  to  place  in  the 
nest  just  so  many  spiders  that,  when  the  last  is  eaten,  the 
larva  is  ready  to  change  into  its  pupal  state. 


HABITS  OF  THE  ASTATA.  343 

All  the  Pompili  are  pretty  insects.  The  general  colour  of 
this  species  is  slightly  shining  black.  The  first  three  segments 
of  the  abdomen  are  rust-red,  each  having  a  narrow  black  band. 
The  wings  arc  dusky,  with  a  livid  blackish  band  on  the  tips 
and  lower  edges.  About  twenty  British  species  of  Pompilus 
are  now  known. 

In  the  family  Larridce,  which  comes  next  in  order,  the  outer 
edges  of  the  mandibles  are  curved  towards  their  bases.  The 
tibiae  of  the  two  first  pair  of  legs  have  one  spine  at  their  tips, 
whereas  those  of  the  hind  pair  of  legs  have  two  spines.  These 
may  seem  to  be  but  trifling  characteristics,  and  yet  we  shall 
see  their  value  when  we  come  to  define  the  next  family. 

On  Woodcut  XXXIV.  Fig.  2,  is  drawn  an  example  of  this 
family.  Its  name  is  Astata  boops,  and  both  names  are  pecu- 
liarly appropriate,  as  we  shall  presently  see.  The  head  is  very 
large,  and  wider  than  the  thorax,  and  the  eyes  are  very  large, 
even  in  the  female,  while  in  the  male  they  are  so  enormous 
that  they  meet  on  the  top  of  the  head,  of  which  they  occupy 
the  greater  part.  The  specific  name  of  6o6>}9s,  or  ox-eyed,  i"s 
given  to  it  in  consequence  of  its  very  large  eyes.  The  figure 
is  that  of  a  male,  while  the  head  of  the  female  is  shown  at 
Fig.  g.  The  antennae  are  much  more  curved  in  the  female 
than  in  the  male.  The  first  pair  of  wings  have  one  marginal  and 
three  submarginal  cells,  shaped  as  may  be  seen  at  Fig.  2.  The 
abdomen  has  a  very  short  footstalk,  and  in  the  male  the  upper 
surface  is  flattened.  The  colour  of  the  insect  is  black  ;  there  is 
a  little  grey  down  in  front  of  the  face.  The  abdomen  is  black, 
with  the  first  and  second  segments  rusty-red,  as  also  the  base  of 
the  third  segment.  Its  edges  are  somewhat  flattened.  The  wings 
are  nearly  transparent,  and  have  a  broad  blackish  band  at  the 
tip  of  the  submarginal  cell.  This  is  the  colouring  of  the 
female.  The  male  is  usually,  though  not  always,  smaller  than 
the  female,  and  the  whole  face  and  cheeks — i.e.,  the  part  be- 
hind the  eyes — are  covered  with  shining  silvery  white  down. 
His  eyes  are  red  and  the  sides  of  the  thorax,  the  tip  and  base 
of  the  abdomen  are  covered  with  long,  greyish  down. 

This  is  one  of  the   burrowing  insects,  and  is  a  very  active  " 
creature,  from  whence  is  derived  its  name  of  Astata,  signifying 


344  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

something  that  is  too  restless  to  stand  still.  It  is  a  sand-lover, 
and  sand-pits  and  their  neighbourhood  are  good  localities 
wherein  to  search  for  it.  Mr.  F.  Smith  states  that  he  has 
taken  it  in  plenty  on  Hampstead  Heath  during  the  end  of  July 
and  August.  It  is  not,  however,  a  common  species,  being  one 
of  the  many  local  insects  that  are  plentiful  enough  in  the  place 
which  they  frequent,  but  not  to  be  found  out  of  certain  limited 
districts. 

The  female  prefers  the  hard  to  the  loose  sand,  and  makes 
therein  a  tunnel,  some  four  or  five  inches  in  depth,  stocking  it 
with  different  insects.  According  to  Mr.  Smith  the  Astata 
generally  selects  for  this  purpose  the  larvae  of  one  of  the  field- 
bugs  {Pentatoma),  but  he  has  seen  it  carrying  a  hymenop- 
terous  insect,  belonging  to  the  genus  Oxybelus.  Only  two 
British  species  of  Astata  are  at  present  known. 

The  family  of  the  Nyssonidse  are  easily  distinguished  from 
the  preceding  family  by  the  jaws  and  the  legs.  The  mandibles 
are  not  waved  beneath,  and  all  the  legs  are  moderately  spined. 
A  rather  pretty  and  very  interesting  example  of  this  family  is 
given  on  Woodcut  XXXIV.  Fig.  3.  Its  name  is  Mellinus 
arvensis. 

In  this  genus  the  head  is  not  wider  than  the  thorax,  and  the 
eyes  are  large  and  oval.  These  large  eyes  are  used  to  some 
purpose,  as  we  shall  presently  see.  The  front  pair  of  wings 
have  one  marginal  and  four  submarginal  cells,  the  fourth  ex- 
tending to  the  tip  of  the  wing.  The  abdomen  is  long,  and  its 
first  segment  is  so  drawn  out  as  to  form  a  sort  of  footstalk  by 
which  it  is  attached  to  the  abdomen.  The  colour  of  the  insect 
is  black,  diversified  with  yellow  feet,  and  four  yellow  bands  on 
the  abdomen.  It  is  one  of  the  commonest  of  its  kind,  and  by 
the  following  extract  the  reader  will  see  how  to  search  for  and 
catch  it.  Mr.  F.  Smith  gives  the  following  graphic  account  of 
the  Mellinus  in  his  '  Catalogue  of  British  Hymenoptera  in  the 
British  Museum.' 

'  Having  frequently  observed  the  habits  of  the  type  of  this 
genus,  Mellinus  arvensis,  and  reared  it  from  the  larval  state, 
a  few  observations  are  here  required.  When  the  parent  insect 
has  found  a  burrow  of  the  required  length,  and  enlarged  the 
extremity  into  a  chamber  of  proper  dimensions,  she  issues  forth 


HOW  THE  MELLINUS  CATCHES  FLIES.  345 

in  search  of  the  proper  food  for  her  young.  This  consists  of 
various  Dipterous  insects.  Species  of  various  genera  are  equally 
adapted  to  her  purpose. 

'  It  is  amusing  to  see  four  or  five  females  lie  in  wait  upon  a 
patch  of  cow-dung  until  some  luckless  fly  settles  on  it.  When 
this  happens,  a  cunning  and  gradual  approach  is  made.  A 
sudden  attempt  would  not  succeed,  for  the  fly  is  the  insect  of 
quickest  flight,  and  therefore  a  degree  of  artifice  is  necessary. 
This  is  arranged  by  running  past  the  victim  slowly  and  ap- 
parently in  an  unconcerned  manner,  until  the  poor  fly  is  caught 
unawares  and  carried  off  by  the  Mellinus  to  its  burrow.  The 
first  fly  being  deposited,  an  egg  is  laid,  the  necessary  number 
of  flies  are  soon  secured,  and  her  task  is  completed.  Some- 
times she  is  interrupted  by  rainy  weather,  and  it  is  some  days 
ere  she  can  store  up  the  quantity  required. 

'  A  larva  found  feeding  became  full-fed  in  ten  days ;  six 
flies  were  devoured,  the  heads,  harder  parts  of  the  thorax, 
portions  of  the  abdomen,  and  the  legs,  being  left  untouched. 
The  larva  spins  a  tough,  thin,  brown,  silken  cocoon,  passes  the 
winter  in  the  larval  state,  changes  to  the  nymph  (or  pupa)  on 
the  approach  of  summer,  and  appears  about  the  beginning  of 
autumn  in  the  perfect  state.' 

The  mandible  of  this  insect  is  shown  at  Fig.  c,  the  labium 
at  d,  and  the  maxilla  at  e.  Only  two  British  species  of  the 
genus  are  known. 

In  consequence  of  the  vast  number  of  British  Hymenoptera, 
we  are  forced  to  select  a  comparatively  few  examples,  taking 
those  which  afford  the  best  types  of  the  different  families. 
"We  now  come  to  the  family  of  the  Crabronidse.  In  them  the 
head  is  large,  and  frequently  of  very  great  size  in  proportion 
to  the  body.  The  shape  of  the  abdomen  is  extremely  variable, 
sometimes  having  a  foot-stalk  and  sometimes  none  ;  while  it 
may  be  either  oval,  elliptical,  or  club-shaped.  The  eyes  aie 
oval,  and  sometimes  have  an  impression  on  one  side,  which 
gives  them  somewhat  of  a  kidney  shape. 

On  "Woodcut  XXXI"V.  Fig.  4,  is  drawn  Crabro  quadrimacu- 
latus,  one  of  the  most  common  of  its  kind.  In  consequence  of 
the  great  number  of  species  in  this  genus,  nearly  forty  being 
already  known,   Mr.  F.   Smith    separates  them   into   several 


846  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

divisions,  the  first  of  which  has  the  abdomen  set  on  a  long  foot- 
stalk ;  the  second,  in  which  the  abdomen  has  a  moderate  foot- 
stalk ;  and  the  third,  in  which  it  has  a  very  short  foot-stalk,  and 
the  ocelli  are  set  in  an  equilateral  triangle.  To  this  divisiori 
the  present  species  belongs.  Its  colour  is  black,  variegated 
with  yellow  patches,  which  are  variable  both  in  number  and 
size.  The  clypeus  is  deeply  keeled  in  the  centre,  and  thinly 
covered  with  fine  yellowish  down.  The  abdomen  has  generally 
four  yellow  patches — hence  the  name  of  quadrimaculatus — 
and  one  yellow  band. 

It  is  a  very  common  species,  and  makes  its  burrows  in  de- 
cayed wood.  The  future  larva  is  supplied  with  various  insects, 
mostly  gnats  and  other  small  Diptera.  The  larva  of  this 
insect  is  shown  at  Fig.  / 

The  family  of  the  Philanthidse  comes  next  on  our  list.  In 
these  insects  the  head  is  always  wider  than  the  thorax.  The 
tibiae  of  the  middle  pair  of  legs  have  a  single  spur  at  their  tips, 
and  the  front  tarsi  are  strongly  fringed.  A  good  example  of 
this  family,  CerceHs  m^ensis,  is  shown  on  Woodcut  XXXIV. 
Fig.  5.  The  coloiu:  of  the  insect  is  black,  with  the  face  and 
thorax  mottled  with  yellow.  The  female  has  four  yellow  bands 
on  the  abdomen  and  the  male  five,  and  there  is  a  yellow  spot 
on  each  side  of  the  first  segment.  In  this  genus,  the  head  is 
squared,  and  the  three  ocelli  are  set  in  a  triangle  on  the  crown. 
The  first  pair  of  wings  have  one  oblong  marginal,  and  three 
submarginal  cells.  The  first  segment  of  the  abdomen  is 
narrowed  to  half  the  width  of  the  second,  so  as  to  form  a  sort 
of  footstalk.  The  legs  are  strong  and  the  tarsi  of  the  first  pair 
are  fringed  on  the  outside. 

All  the  members  of  this  genus  are  burrowers,  and  this  species 
prefers  hard,  flat,  and  sandy  spots.  It  is,  perhaps,  the  most 
plentiful  of  its  genus,  and  Mr.  F.  Smith  remarks  that  it  is 
more  miscellaneous  in  its  choice  of  food  for  its  young  than  any 
other  of  the  burrowing  Hymenoptera.  It  always  takes  weevils, 
but,  owing  to  the  vast  numbers  of  these  beetles,  it  has  a  very 
wide  choice.  It  has  been  observed  to  carry  off  the  Nut-weevil 
{Balaninus  nucum),  and  even  the  Grooved-weevil  {Otio- 
rhynchus  sidcatus).  Both  of  these  insects  have  been  de- 
scribed, the  former  on  page  180,  and  the  latter  on  page  175. 


FOOD  OF  THE  CEKCERIS.  347 

That  the  latter  beetle  should  be  selected  for  such  a  purpose 
is  really  astonishing.  As  all  entomologists  know,  its  round, 
hard-shelled  body  is  scarcely  pervious  to  a  pin,  and,  before  it 
can  be  placed  on  the  setting-board,  a  needle  has  to  be  used  in 
order  to  pierce  the  hard  elytra  and  make  way  for  the  pin. 
Yet  such  an  insect  as  this  is  actually  used  as  food  for  the  young 
larva  of  the  Cerceris.  Mr.  Smith  remarks  that  this  difficulty 
is  obviated  by  a  peculiarity  in  the  development  of  the  Cerceris. 
The  egg  is  not  hatched  until  some  days  after  it  has  been  depo- 
sited, so  that  the  dampness  of  the  soil  acts  upon  the  hard 
exterior  of  the  beetle,  and  renders  it  soft  enough  to  be  pierced 
by  the  jaws  of  the  larva. 

The  Cerceris  seems  not  to  be  in  the  least  particular  as  to 
the  species  of  weevil  with  which  it  provisions  its  nest,  but  to 
take  any  species  that  may  be  most  plentiful  in  the  neighbour- 
hood of  its  burrow.  The  middle  of  July  is  the  best  time  in 
which  to  search  for  this  beetle. 


348  INSECTS  AT  HOMK 


CHAPTER   IV. 

WASPS  AND  SOLITARY  BEES. 

We  now  come  to  the  great  group  called  Diploptera,  or  '  folded 
wings,'  because  in  repose  the  second  pair  of  wings  are  folded 
longitudinally.  In  these  insects  there  are  Solitary  and  Social 
species,  and  in  all  the  former  there  are  only  two  sexes,  namely, 
the  perfect  male  and  female,  while  in  the  latter  there  is  a  third, 
or  imperfect  or  neuter  sex,  called  the  Worker.  These  are,  in 
fact,  undeveloped  females.  All  the  females,  whether  perfect 
or  not,  are  armed  with  a  venomous  sting,  the  construction 
of  which  will  be  described  when  we  come  to  treat  of  the 
Hive  Bee.  We  know  these  insects  popularly  by  the  name  of 
Wasps,  and  while  some  species  are  familiarly  known  to  all 
who  take  the  least  interest  in  the. works  of  Nature,  others, 
more  especially  the  solitary  species,  are  utterly  unknown  except 
to  naturalists. 

We  will  begin  with  the  Solitary  Wasps,  or  Eumenidse, 
which  may  be  distinguished  by  the  claws  of  the  tarsi,  which 
are  double  in  the  Solitary  and  single  in  the  Social  Wasps.  On 
Plate  XI.  Fig.  1,  may  be  seen  two  examples  of  these  remarkable 
insects,  one  shown  in  flight,  and  the  other,  just  below  it, 
engaged  in  forming  its  curious  nest.  The  latter  specimen,  as 
well  as  Fig.  3,  serves  to  show  the  longitudinal  folding  of  the 
lower  pair  of  wings.  The  name  of  tliis  insect  is  Eumenes 
coardata,  the  only  British  example  of  its  genus. 

In  this  genus  the  head  is  triangular,  the  wings  large,  with 
one  marginal  and  three  submarginal  cells,  and  the  abdomen  is 
somewhat  pear-shaped,  the  first  segment  being  drawn  out  so  as 
to  form  a  decided  footstalk.  Its  colour  is  black,  variegated 
with  yellow.  The  front  edge  of  the  prothorax  and  the  tibiae 
and  tarsi  are  yellow.  The  segments  of  the  abdomen  are  edged 
with  yellow,  and  there  are  ten  spot^  of  the  same  colour  on  the 


SOLITAEY   WASPS. 


349 


second  segment.  Tins  is  another  of  the  local  insects  which  are 
tolerably  plentiful  in  their  limited  districts.  Mr.  Smith  men- 
tions Sandhurst  and  Sunning  Hill  as  places  where  it  may  be 
found  in  moderate  numbers,  and  Weybridge  as  a  place  where 
it  has  occurred  sparingly. 

This  insect  is  chiefly  remarkable  for  the  vase-shaped  nest 
which   it   constructs   from   mud.      These   nests,   or  cells,  are 


1.  Vespa  crnbro,  female.  2.  Vespa  vulgaris,  female.  3.  Halictus  mbicundus,  female. 

4.  Dasypoda  hirtipes,  female.  a.  Vespa  crabro,  head  of  male.  6.  Dasypoda,  leg  of  male. 

c.  Do.,  head  of  male.         d.  Halictus,  head  of  male.         e.  Do.,  abdomen  of  male.         /.  Vespa 
vulgaris,  head  of  male.        g.    Vespa  arboiea,  head.        h.  Vespa  vulgaris,  head  of  female. 


attached  to  the  twigs  of  various  plants,  but  especially  to  the 
common  heath,  as  is  shown  on  Plate  XI.  In  each  of  these 
cells  the  mother-insect  lays  a  single  egg^  and  then  provisions 
the  cell  with  the  larvse  of  small  Lepidoptera. 

Before  parting  with  the  Solitary  Wasps,  of  which  we  have 
80  few  British  examples,  we  must  mention  a  very  interesting 


350  INSECTS  AT  HOMK 

genus  called  Odynerus,  the  members  of  which  make  their  nests 
in  tubes  and  hollows  of  various  kinds.  Some  of  them  are  very 
fond  of  boring  out  the  pith  of  dead  rose  or  bramble  sticks, 
making  therein  a  series  of  cells,  and  placing  in  each  cell  an 
egg  and  a  supply  of  food,  such  as  small  caterpillars.  Two 
species,  Odynerus  Icevipes  and  melanocephalus,  adopt  this 
plan,  and  their  curious  cells  may  be  found  in  almost  every 
garden.  The  former  of  these  insects — a  rare  species — lines 
the  tube  with  sand,  and  constructs  the  cells  of  the  same  mate- 
rial. Some  of  them,  such  as  Odynerus  quadratus,  burrow  into 
old  wood  if  they  can  find  no  hole  ready  made  ;  but  if  they  can, 
they  make  use  of  it.  Mr.  F.  Smith  mentions  that  he  has  found 
its  nests  in  the  hollow  reeds  that  formed  the  thatch  of  an  out- 
house, and  that  he  has  known  of  a  case  where  it  tilled  with  its 
cells  both  barrels  of  a  pistol  that  was  hanging  to  a  post  in  a 
garden-house.  The  cells  of  this  species  are  provisioned  with 
small  green  caterpillars. 

The  next  family  is  that  of  the  Social  Wasps,  or  Vespidse. 
There  is  but  one  British  genus,  namely  Vesjpa,  and  eight 
British  species,  some  of  which,  such  as  the  Common  "Wasp  and 
the  Hornet,  are  very  well  known,  while  others  are  almost 
imknown  except  to  naturalists.  All  the  species  build  nests  of 
remarkable  beauty,  some  being  built  under  cover,  and  some 
being  so  constructed  that  they  can  endure  the  open  air.  I  once 
had  a  beautiful  series  of  nests  of  British  Wasps.  The  collection 
included  not  only  the  nests,  but  the  nests  in  various  stages  of 
progress,  from  the  first  cell  to  the  complete  edifice,  and  each 
complete  nest  was  accompanied  by  the  male,  female,  and 
worker  Wasp.  The  collection  was  made  for  me  by  the  late 
Mr.  S.  Stone,  whose  lamented  loss  deprived  the  scientific 
world  of  a  laborious,  close,  and  accurate  observer. 

In  all  these  nests,  however  different  they  may  appear  ex- 
ternally, there  are  one  or  two  points  in  which  they  agree.  The 
cells  are  all  placed  with  their  mouths  downwards,  and  are 
arranged  side  by  side  in  regular  tiers,  one  above  another,  with 
just  sufficient  space  between  each  tier  for  the  Wasps  to  pass 
freely.  They  are  all  made  of  a  paper-like  substance,  obtained 
by  tearing  off  and  masticating  small  fibres  of  wood,  sometimes 
sound  and  sometimes  decaying  wood. 


PLATE    XI. 
ANTS,  WASPS.  AND  SOLITARY   BEES. 


1.  Formica  rufa  and  nest. 

2.  Quedius  brevis. 

3.  Eumenes  and  nest. 

4.  Vespa  arborea  and  nest. 

5.  Andrena  nitida. 

6.  Andrena  Trimmerana. 

7.  Cilissa  hsemorrhoidalis. 

8.  Nomada  ruficornis. 

9.  Stylops  melittae. 

Plants  : — 
Harebell. 

Common  Heath  (Erica  cinerea)^  with  nest  of  Eumenea. 
Ivy. 


NEST  OF  THE  COMMON  WASP.  351 

We  will  take  first  the  Common  Wasp  {Vespa  vulgaris), 
which  may  be  seen  on  Woodcut  XXXV.,  and  watch  it  through 
the  process  of  making  its  nest. 

In  the  spring  a  female  Wasp  issues  from  the  hiding-place 
in  which  she  has  passed  the  winter,  and  begins  to  search  for  a 
suitable  locality  in  which  to  make  her  nest.  She  always 
chooses  for  this  purpose  a  hole,  such  as  that  of  a  mouse  or  rat 
— generally  the  former — and,  at  some  distance  from  the  en-  j— 

trance,  sweeps  away  the  earth,  so  as  to  form  a  small  rounded  pj 

chamber.     Somewhere  in  the  roof  of  this   chamber    there  is  £> 

sure  to  be  a  root  of  some  kind,  and  to  this   root  the  Wasp  Q 

attaches  a  short  pillar  of  papier-mache,  somewhere  about  one-  ^ 

third  of  an  inch  in  length.  At  the  lower  portion  of  this  pillar 
she  forms  a  small  cell,  not  a  sixth  of  an  inch  in  length,  and  j 

after  a  little  while  places  two  others  at  its  side.  An  egg  is 
then  deposited  in  each  cell,  and  the  Wasp  proceeds  to  make  a 
roof  over  them,  shaped  just  like  an  umbrella. 

More  cells  are  now  made,  more  eggs  laid,  and  the  first  larvae 
are  hatched,  require  constant  feeding,  and  grow  rapidly,  so 
that,  in  proportion  to  their  growth,  the  length  of  the  cell-walls 
has  to  be  increased.  The  umbrella-like  covering  is  now  too 
small  to  serve  its  purpose,  so  the  Wasp  makes  a  larger  one, 
cutting  up  and  re-masticating  the  old  one.  This  is  always 
done  whenever  the  nest  is  enlarged,  and  it  is  quite  easy  to 
trace  the  remains  of  the  successive  coverings.  By  this  time 
the  larvae  are  about  to  change  into  the  pupal  state,  and  each 
spins  a  white  silken  cocoon  over  the  mouth  of  its  cell,  thus 
shutting  itself  up  from  all  disturbance.  It  soon  passes  through 
its  transformations,  and  then  bites  its  way  through  the  cell- 
cover  and  issues  into  the  nest,  a  perfect  insect,  ready  to  take 
its  share  in  the  enlargement  of  the  nest. 

All  these  early  Wasps  belong  to  the  workers,  and,  like  the 
worker -ants,  are  undeveloped  females.  They  cannot  lay  eggs, 
leaving  that  duty  to  the  original  queen,  if  we  may  so  call  her ; 
but  they  can,  and  do,  collect  materials,  masticate  them  into 
papier-mache,  and  build  fresh  cells.  They  also  scoop  away  the 
earth  from  the  chamber  and  enlarge  it,  so  as  to  fit  it  for  tbe 
increasing  nest. 

By  this  time  the  number  of  worker-wasps  has  increased 
so  much  that  a  second  tier  of  cells  is  needed  for  their  energies 


352  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

to  be  expended  on.  Accordingly,  they  fix  a  number  of  papier- 
mache  pillars  to  the  mouths  of  the  cells  of  the  first  tier,  and 
to  them  they  suspend  a  second  tier  of  cells.  A  third,  fourth, 
and  fifth  tier  follow  in  rapid  succession  ;  and,  as  the  nest  is 
enlarged,  so  the  covering  is  enlarged  in  proportion.  Some- 
times the  Common  Wasp  builds  its  nest  in  a  hollow  tree  or 
in  some  similar  locality ;  and  it  is  remarkable  that  the 
covering  of  the  nest  is,  in  this  case,  very  different  from  that 
which  is  employed  when  the  insect  builds  an  imderground 
habitation.  In  the  latter  case  the  nest  is  surrounded  with 
layer  after  layer  of  paper,  so  as  to  protect  the  cells  in  case  the 
sides  or  any  of  the  earthen  chambers  should  collapse ;  but  in 
the  former  case  the  covering  is  quite  thin,  and  scarcely  con- 
tains a  tenth  of  the  material  that  is  needful  for  the  sub- 
terranean nest. 

Whatever  may  be  the  shape  of  the  nest,  the  Wasp  never 
leaves  the  cells  without  a  covering.  Knowing  this  instinct, 
Mr.  Stone  induced  Wasps  to  build  nests  in  any  form  which  he 
liked,  simply  by  arranging  pieces  of  the  comb  and  waiting  till 
the  Wasps  had  covered  them.  For  this  purpose  he  prepared  a 
series  of  boxes,  and  actually  induced  a  single  swarm  of  Wasps 
to  build  six  complete  nests,  and  to  begin  a  seventh.  These 
nests  were  of  all  kinds  of  shapes.  One,  for  example,  was  like 
an  hour-glass,  another  like  a  claret-jug  without  its  handle, 
another  like  a  stalactite  cavern,  and  so  forth.  Indeed,  when  I 
last  saw  him,  he  said  that  he  meant  in  the  following  spring  to 
make  the  Wasps  build  a  nest  shaped  like  St.  Paul's  cathedral, 
and  I  have  not  the  least  doubt  that  he  would  have  suc- 
ceeded. 

Wasps  feed  chiefly  on  other  insects,  though  they  are  very 
fond  of  ripe  fruit  and  sugar,  and  have  a  fashion  of  picking  out 
the  ripest  part  of  the  choicest  fruit  in  a  way  that  is  anything 
but  agreeable  to  the  gardener.  Flies  they  eat  in  great  abund- 
ance, and,  at  Walton  Hall,  I  have  seen  the  Wasps  flying  by 
hundreds  into  the  pig-sties,  and  carrying  off  the  flies  as  they 
swarmed  upon  the  pigs  that  were  luxuriously  basking  in  the 
sun.  Thus  they  are  not  without  their  usefulness,  and,  unless 
they  swarm  to  a  great  extent,  certainly  do  more  good  than 
harm.  There  are  two  species  of  Wasp  which  are  very  much 
alike.     These  are  the  Common  Wasp  ( Vespa  vulgaris),  and 


BRITISH  WASPS  AND  THEIR  NESTS.  353 

the  German  Wasp  ( Vespa  germamai).  The  latter,  however, 
may  be  knowii  by  three  black  spots  upon  the  edge  of  the  first 
segment  of  the  abdomen.  In  the  construction  of  the  nest,  the 
former  insect  uses  decaying,  and  the  latter  sound  wood.  Con- 
sequently, the  nests  of  the  former  insect  are  of  a  paler  and 
greyer  hue  than  those  of  the  latter.  I  have  seen  a  nest  which 
was  made  by  a  double  swarm  of  Wasps,  one  half  of  eacli  species. 
The  nest  was  a  singularly  beautiful  one,  the  grey  and  warm 
brown  being  curiously  variegated,  according  to  the  portions 
made  by  the  different  species.  The  nest  was  preserved  by  Mr. 
Stone,  and  given  by  him  to  Mr.  F.  Smith. 

It  has  already  been  mentioned  that  some  of  the  Wasps  build 
their  nests  in  the  open  air.  One  of  these  insects,  together  with 
its  nest,  is  drawn  on  Plate  XI.  Fig.  3.  This  is  called  the  Tree- 
Wasp  {Vespa  arborea),  because  its  nests  are  suspended  from 
the  branches  of  trees  and  bushes,  the  Wasp  sometimes  choosing 
quite  a  low  bush,  and  sometimes  building  in  a  lofty  tree-branch. 
In  this  insect,  the  '  scape,'  i.e.  the  long  joint  of  the  antennae, 
is  yellow  in  front,  in  both  sexes,  and  there  are  three  black 
spots  on  the  clypeus.  The  nest  is  very  delicately  and  beau- 
tifully made,  and,  in  spite  of  the  apparently  fragile  natm-e  of 
its  structure,  is  perfectly  able  to  resist  the  weather.  The  nest 
is  suspended  by  an  elongated  footstalk,  running  for  nearly  an 
inch  parallel  with  the  twig  to  which  the  nest  is  suspended. 

Another  species,  the  Norway  Wasp  (  Vespa  Norvegiea),  also 
builds  in  trees,  and  the  nest  is  very  similar  to  that  of  the 
former  insect.  A  specimen  in  my  collection  shows  very  plainly 
the  successive  coverings  that  have  been  made  by  the  mother 
insect.  There  are  only  five  cells,  and  the  outer  covering  has 
been  drawn  about  half  way  over  that  which  actually  protect." 
the  cells.  On  holding  it  up  to  the  light  and  looking  at  it,  tbt 
streaks  made  by  the  Wasp,  while  spreading  the  papery  paste, 
are  as  plain  as  those  of  a  painter's  brush  on  the  canvas,  and  the 
outer  covering  is  so  thin  that  the  light  can  be  plainly  seen 
shining  through  it.  Compensation,  however,  is  found  for  this 
delicacy  by  the  fact  that  the  several  coverings,  each  standing 
a  little  from  the  other,  protect  the  cells  far  better  than  would 
be  the  case  if  there  were  but  one  covering,  and  that  a  very 
thick  and  strong  one. 

A  A 


354  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

Now  we  come  to  the  largest  and  most  formidable  of  the 
British  Wasps,  the  terrible  Hornet  (  Vespa  crahro),  a  figure  of 
which  is  given  on  Woodcut  XXXV.  Fig.  1.  This  figure  re- 
presents a  perfect  female  of  the  natural  size.  The  workers  are 
much  less,  and,  indeed,  many  worker  Hornets  are  no  bigger 
than  the  common  Wasp,  from  which,  however,  they  can  at  once 
be  distinguished  by  the  dark  red-brown  of  their  markings. 

The  nest  of  the  Hornet  is  exactly  similar  in  character  to  that 
of  the  common  Wasp,  but  the  cells  are  very  much  larger.  The 
nest  is  usually  made  in  hollow  trees  ;  and  within  a  few  hundred 
yards  of  my  house  are  several  Hornets'  nests — a  fact  which  I 
take  care  not  to  mention,  lest  any  anxious  parent  should 
destroy  them,  fearing  that  they  might  injure  his  children,  a 
fate  that  befell  one  of  these  nests  last  year.  There  is  really  not 
the  least  occasion  for  fear.  The  Hornet  has  a  great  deal  too 
much  to  do  to  spend  its  time  in  stinging  children,  and,  unless 
its  nest  be  attacked,  it  is  peaceable  enough.  Mr.  Stone  kept 
many  Hornets'  nests  at  work,  and  was  no  more  stung  by  thera 
than  a  bee-master  is  stung  by  his  bees.  Outhouses  and  similar 
places  are  favourite  localities  for  Hornets'  nests. 

The  successful  capture  of  a  Hornets'  nest  is  a  very  difficult 
business,  and  that  of  a  Wasps'  is  child's  play  to  it.  In  the  first 
place,  it  is  much  more  difficult  to  cut  a  nest  out  of  a  hollow 
tree  than  to  dig  it  out  of  the  earth ;  and  in  the  next  place, 
the  Hornet  works  all  night,  provided  the  moon  shines,  whereas 
the  Wasp  stays  at  home. 

The  food  of  the  Hornet  consists  of  other  insects,  and  it  has  a 
special  liking  for  Wasps.  My  brother  once  saw  a  Hornet  in 
chase  of  some  Atalanta  butterflies,  and  the  instinct  exhibited  by 
the  insect  was  really  wonderful.  In  the  open  air  the  short- 
winged,  heavy-bodied  Hornet  would  have  no  chance  of  catching 
the  ample-winged  butterfly.  So  the  Hornet  kept  flying  back- 
wards and  forwards  in  front  of  the  butterfly,  until  the  Atalanta 
thought  to  escape  by  flying  through  the  branches  of  an  elm 
tree.  This  was  the  object  of  the  Hornet's  manoeuvres,  for  it  at 
once  dashed  among  the  foliage,  where  the  wide  wings  of  the  but- 
terfly were  at  a  disadvantage,  captured  the  unfortunate  Ata- 
lanta, bit  off  its  head  and  wings,  and  flew  away  with  the  body. 

The  next  tribe  of  Hymenoptera  is  that  which  is  called  An- 


SOLITARY  BEES.  355 

thophila,  or  Flower-lovers,  and  sometimes  Mellifera,  or  Honey- 
bearers.  It  comprises  the  insects  which  are  familiarly  known 
as  Bees.  As  is  the  case  with  the  Wasps,  the  Bees  are  both  Social 
and  Solitary,  and  in  the  former  case  the  workers,  or  imperfect 
females,  form  the  majority  of  the  community.  The  antennse 
of  the  male  Bees  have  thirteen  joints,  and  those  of  the  females 
only  twelve  ;  and  the  same  proportion  exists  in  the  rings  or 
segments  of  the  abdomen,  the  male  having  seven,  and  the 
female  only  six.  The  larva  is  always  fed  on  pollen  or  honey, 
or  both,  this  food  being  stored  in  cells  constructed  for  the 
purpose. 

All  these  insects  possess  a  very  remarkable  modification  of 
the  parts  of  the  mouth  which  are  formed  with  the  organ 
known  as  the  tongue,  trunk,  or  proboscis.  The  end  of  the 
tongue  is  furnished  with  a  slender  brush,  formed  by  tiny  hairs 
which  edge  the  rings  of  which  the  organ  is  composed.  Mag- 
nified illustrations  of  the  tongues  of  two  kinds  of  Bee  may  be 
seen  on  Woodcut  XXXVII.  Figs,  a  and  b.  A  very  full  and 
detailed  description  of  this  organ  is  given  by  Mr.  Westwood  in 
his  admirable  'Introduction,'  vol.  ii.  pp.  256-260.  I  strongly 
recommend  any  of  my  readers  who  wish  to  make  themselves 
adepts  in  practical  entomology,  to  procure  a  few  specimens  of 
the  largest  Bees  and  examine  this  beautiful  apparatus  with  the 
aid  of  a  lens  The  common  Humble-bees  will  answer  the  purpose 
very  well.  This  apparatus  is  used,  as  we  all  know,  for  ex- 
tracting from  flowers  the  sweet  juices  which  will  become  honey 
after  being  taken  into  the  system  of  the  insect.  The  juices  in 
question  are  not  sucked,  as  they  are  by  the  proboscis  of  a 
moth  or  butterfly,  but  are  swept  out  of  the  flower  by  means  of 
the  brush. 

The  first  family,  called  Andrenidse,  comprises  the  Solitary 
Bees,  and  is  divided  into  two  groups,  namely,  the  Obtusi- 
lingues,  or  blunt-tongued  Bees,  and  the  Acutilingues,  or  sharp- 
tongued  Bees ;  the  tongues  of  the  former  group  resembling 
those  of  the  wasps,  while  those  of  the  second  group  are  long, 
lance-shaped,  and  pointed.  Examples  of  the  sharp-tongues 
will  presently  be  given. 

On  Woodcut  XXXV.  Fig.  3,  is  drawn  a  Solitary  Bee  called 
Halictus  rubicundus.  In  this  genus  the  head  is  rather  trian- 
gular, and  the  ocelli  are  set  in  a  curve  upon  the  crown.     The 

A   A   2 


356  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

wings  have  one  marginal  and  three  submarginal  cells,  the  first 
of  which  is  nearly  as  long  as  the  other  two  together.  The 
antennae  of  the  males  are  much  longer  than  those  of  the  females. 
The  colour  of  the  present  species  is  black,  a  very  fine  dun- 
coloured  brown  being  upon  the  face,  and  a  fringe  of  shining 
yellow  hairs  edging  the  labrum.  The  middle  of  the  thorax  is 
covered  with  tawny  red  down,  becoming  paler  on  the  sides  and 
towards  the  base  of  the  thorax.  The  abdomen  is  smooth  and 
shining,  with  a  little  tawny  down  at  the  base.  The  females 
have  narrow  white  bands  on  all  the  segments,  and  the  males 
have  a  similar  band  on  the  first  four  segments  only.  The  shape 
of  the  male  abdomen  is  shown  at  Fig.  e.  The  head  of  the  male, 
with  its  long  antennae,  is  drawn  at  Fig.  d. 

This  is  a  burrowing  insect,  making  a  tunnel  several  inches  in 
depth,  and  only  just  large  enough  to  allow  of  the  passage  of 
the  Bee.  The  end  of  the  burrow  is  slightly  enlarged,  so  as  to 
form  a  sort  of  chamber,  and  in  this  chamber  the  Bee  places  one 
egg  and  a  quantity  of  pollen.  I  have  found  that  the  pollen  is 
kneaded  together  so  as  to  form  a  hard,  paste-like  ball,  which, 
by  careful  digging,  can  be  removed  from  the  burrow  without 
being  broken.  Nor  is  this  all.  From  the  main  shaft,  if  we 
may  so  call  it,  several  short  burrows  are  made,  not  more  than  an 
inch  or  so  in  length,  and  in  each  of  them  an  egg  and  a  supply 
of  pollen  are  placed. 

Mr.  F.  Smith  has  paid  great  attention  to  these  insects,  and 
has  observed  that  the  female  Halicti  appear  early  in  April  and 
are  hard  at  work  until  the  end  of  June,  when  they  gradually 
disappear.  About  August  the  male  Bees  begin  to  show  them- 
selves, soon  followed  by  a  quantity  of  females,  who  immediately 
begin  to  form  fresh  tunnels.  The  time  occupied  in  passing 
through  the  changes  is  very  short,  for  in  ten  or  twelve  days 
after  the  larva  is  hatched  it  is  ready  to  pass  into  the  pupal 
state.  It  is  evident,  therefore,  that,  like  the  Social  Wasps  and 
Bees,  the  Halicti  females  hybernate  after  meeting  their  mates, 
so  as  to  begin  their  nest-making  as  early  as  possible  in  the 
following  year. 

There '  are  more  than  twenty  species  of  this  genus,  among 
which,  one,  called  appropriately  Halictus  minutissimus,  is 
remarkable  for  being  the  smallest  British  Bee  yet  known.  The 
male  is  barely  one-eighth  of  an  inch  in  length. 


THE  ANDRENA  AND  HER  PARASITIC  BEETLE.  357 

Next  comes  the  typical  genus  of  tlie  family,  two  examples  of 
which  are  given  on  Plate  XI.  The  genus  Andrena  has  the 
head  as  wide  as  the  thorax,  and,  in  the  male,  occasionally 
wider.  The  antennae  are  elbowed  ;  the  wings  have  one  mar- 
ginal and  three  submarginal  cells,  and  the  hinder  tibise  are 
furnished  with  stiflf  bristles  by  means  of  which  the  insect  can 
carry  to  its  home  the  pollen  which  it  obtains  from  flowers. 
One  of  these  Bees  may  be  seen  on  Plate  XL  Fig.  4.  It  is 
called  Andrena  nitida,  from  the  polished  and  shining  abdomen. 
The  colour  is  black,  the  thorax  being  clothed  with  yellowish 
down.  The  nervures  of  the  wings  are  rust-red,  and  there  is  a 
darkish  clouding  at  their  tips.  On  each  side  of  the  second  and 
third  segments  of  the  abdomen  is  a  patch  of  white  down, 
and  the  tip  of  the  abdomen  has  a  fine  dun-coloured  fringe. 

This  pretty  species  occurs  early  in  spring,  and  may  be  found 
on  the  flowers  of  the  common  dandelion.  It  makes  a  burrow 
very  similar  to  that  of  the  Halictus,  and,  like  that  insect,  forms 
short  accessory  burrows  radiating  from  the  principal  shaft. 

Another  species,  Andrena  Trimmerana,  is  seen  on  Plate 
XI.  Fig.  5.  The  colour  of  this  Bee  is  black,  the  thorax  being 
covered  with  a  reddish-dun  down,  and  the  legs  being  covered 
with  brownish  hairs  on  their  upper  surface.  The  anteimae  of 
the  female  are  longer  than  is  usually  the  case.  One  of  its 
burrows  is  seen,  from  which  it  is  just  emerging.  One  of  the 
larvae  is  shown  at  Fig.  10. 

This  insect  is  common  near  London,  and  is  worthy  of  atten- 
tion as  being  often  infested  with  the  remarkable  little  beetle 
called  the  Stylops,  which  has  been  described  on  page  157.  At 
Fig.  5  the  Stylops  may  be  seen  just  appearing  from  beneath 
one  of  the  segments  of  the  abdomen ;  and  at  Fig.  6,  at  the 
top  of  the  Plate,  the  insect  is  seen  as  it  appears  when  flying, 
the  peculiar  milkiness  of  the  wings  being  very  well  given. 
The  species  which  is  most  attacked  by  the  Stylops  is  Andrena 
convexiuscula.  Out  of  thirty  specimens  of  this  insect,  not 
one  had  escaped  the  Stylops.  It  is  found  in  the  Isle  of  Wight 
and  other  places,  but  does  not  appear  to  live  near  London. 

Of  this  enormous  genus,  nearly  seventy  species  are  in  the 
British  Museum.  Some  burrow  in  loose  sand,  some  in  hard 
ground,  and  some   even  prefer  very  hard,  strong  paths,  over 


358  *  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

which  there  is  continual  traffic.  One  species  is  called  by 
Mr.  F.  Smith  the  Kentish  Bee  (Andrena  pilijpes),  because  it 
is  almost  peculiar  to  Kent.  It  is  a  very  boldly  marked  Bee. 
The  down  on  the  head  and  thorax  is  black,  the  abdomen  is 
shining,  and  the  hinder  tibise  are  silvery  white  beneath  and 
brown  above.  I  have  found  it  burrowing  in  a  nearly  perpen- 
dicular sand-bank  at  Abbey  Wood,  and  reared  several  of  the 
Bees  from  their  pupa-cells.  The  tunnels  do  not  run  to  any 
great  depth,  and  I  was  able  to  cut  out  the  cells  with  an  ordi- 
nary pocket-knife.  In  one  year  there  was  quite  a  colony  of 
the  Kentish  Bee  in  that  spot.  It  frequents  the  thistle ;  and  as 
it  returns  to  its  nest,  covered  with  the  white  pollen  of  that 
flower,  it  presents  a  very  singular  appearance. 

Just  above  Andrena  nitida,  on  Plate  XI.  and  at  Fig.  7  is 
seen  another  Bee  belonging  to  the  same  family.  Its  name  is 
Cilissa  hamorrhoidalis. 

In  this  genus  the  head  is  transverse,  the  ocelli  are  set  in  a 
curve  upon  the  crown,  and  the  wings  are  like  those  of  Andrena. 

The  colour  of  the  present  species  is  black,  with  a  sprinkling 
of  pale  down.  The  face  of  the  male  is  densely  clothed  with 
bright,  but  pale  yellowish  down.  On  the  middle  of  the  thorax 
the  down  is  black,  and  the  rest  similar  to  that  of  the  face. 
The  down  on  the  first  joints  of  the  antennae  is  pale  and  on  the 
others  is  black,  with  a  few  yellowish  hairs  along  the  sides. 
The  wings  are  clouded  towards  their  ends.  There  is  a  slight 
difference  between  the  sexes,  the  female  being  decidedly  larger 
than  the  male,  and  having  a  line  of  bright  yellowish  hair  round 
the  thick  patch  on  the  thorax,  the  rest  of  the  down  being  grey. 
The  fifth  and  sixth  segments  of  the  abdomen  are  covered  with 
dense  golden  yellow  down. 

According  to  Mr.  F.  Smith,  this  is  a  local  insect,  and  seems 
to  confine  itself  to  places  in  which  the  blue-bell  grows,  that 
flower  being  the  only  one  which  it  frequents.  The  habits  of  the 
insect  are  exactly  like  those  of  Andrena.  There  are  only  two 
species  known  to  inhabit  England. 

The  very  beautiful  Bee  which  is  shown  on  Woodcut  XXXV. 
is  our  last  example  of  the  Andrenidse.  It  has,  I  believe,  no 
popular  name,  but  its  scientific  title  is  Dasypoda  hirtipes. 


THE  WASP-BEES  AND  THEIR  HABITS.  359 

In  this  genus  the  ocelli  are  set  in  a  slight  curve  on  the 
crown  of  the  head.  The  upper  wings  have  one  marginal  and 
two  submarginal  cells,  the  labial  palpi  have  four  joints  and  the 
maxillary  palpi  six.  Mr.  F.  Smith  calls  this  '  the  most  beau- 
tiful Bee  found  in  this  country  ;  the  appearance  of  the  female 
when  loaded  with  pollen  is  sufficiently  singular  to  attract  the 
attention  of  the  most  apathetic  observer.'  There  is  no  dif- 
ficulty in  identifying  it,  as  the  very  long  and  dense  hair  of  the 
legs,  especially  of  the  hinder  pair,  is  sufficient  to  indicate  it. 
The  general  colour  is  black,  but  the  abdomen  has  three  white 
bands.  The  male  may  be  distinguished  by  his  smaller  size  and 
brighter  colouring.  Each  segment  of  the  abdomen  is  reddish 
yellow  at  the  upper  edge,  and  is  fringed  with  pale  yellow  down. 

It  is  one  of  the  burrowers,  making  its  tunnels  in  sand-banks. 
It  does  not  appear  to  breed  in  the  immediate  neighbourhood 
of  London,  but  is  plentiful  in  many  parts  of  Kent,  especially 
those  in  which  sand  abounds.  Sandown,  Isle  of  "Wight,  is, 
for  that  reason,  a  favourite  locality  of  this  beautiful  insect. 
The  head  and  hind  legs  of  the  male  are  seen  at  Figs,  c  and  d. 
Both  the  scientific  names  of  this  insect  refer  to  the  exceedingly 
long  hair  of  the  hinder  legs.  The  word  '  Dasypoda  '  is  Grreek, 
and  signifies  'shaggy-footed,'  and  the  word  'hirtipes'  has 
exactly  the  same  signification  in  Latin. 

We  now  come  to  the  Bees  or  Apidse.  In  these  insects  the 
tongue  is  very  long,  and  can  be  folded  under  the  head  and 
breast  when  not  in  use.  They  are  divided  into  several  groups 
or  sub-families,  the  first  of  which  is  called  Andrenoides,  or  An- 
drena-like  Bees.  They  have  similar  habits  to  the  Andrena. 
Only  two  species  of  this  sub-family  are  known,  both  belonging 
to  the  genus  Panurgus. 

An  example  of  the  next  sub-family,  the  Cuculinse,  is  given  on 
Plate  XL  Fig.  9,  and  is  named  Nomada  ruficornis.  The  insects 
belonging  to  this  group  are  popularly  known  as  Wasp-beeSj 
because,  although  evidently  Bees,  they  have  a  very  wasp-like 
look  about  them,  especially  in  the  colouring.  They  have  no 
pollen-gathering  apparatus,  neither  pollen  brushes  nor  pollen- 
scales,  and  are  by  some  authors  termed  Denudata,  or  Naked 
Bees,  in  consequence  of  this  peculiarity.  The  reason  for  the 
absence  of  this  apparatus  is  evident  enough.     Nature  never 


360  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

supplies  organs  unless  they  have  their  work  to  do,  and,  as  the 
Bee  is  a  parasitic  one,  there  is  no  reason  why  it  should  take  the 
trouble  of  gathering  pollen.  The  name  of  Cuculinse,  or  Cuckoo- 
bees,  is  given  to  them  in  consequence  of  their  parasitic  habits. 

In  this  genus  the  antennse  are  elbowed,  and  are  nearly  as  long 
as  the  thorax.  The  upper  wings  have  one  marginal  and  three 
submarginal  cells.  The  last  segment  of  the  abdomen  is  blunt 
in  the  females  and  sharp  in  the  males. 

This  is  a  most  variable  insect  in  point  of  colour,  but  it  may 
be  generally  described  as  rust-red,  with  three  black  longitudinal 
lines  in  the  thorax,  and  with  yellow  spots  and  bands  on  the 
abdomen.  There  is  but  little  difference  in  the  dimensions  of 
the  sexes. 

That  these  Bees  are  parasitic  is  well  known,  but  the  par- 
ticular mode  of  parasitism  is  scarcely  ascertained. 

They  enter  the  burrows  of  certain  Solitary  Bees,  and  in  those 
burrows  the  young  Nomadse  are  matured.  It  is  supposed  that 
when  the  Solitary  Bee  has  laid  in  its  stock  of  pollen,  the  Cuckoo- 
bee  enters  the  burrow,  deposits  an  egg,  and  goes  off  to  repeat 
the  process  elsewhere.  When  the  real  owner  of  the  burrow 
returns,  she  finds  an  egg  already  laid,  takes  it  for  her  own,  and 
so  goes  away  and  makes  a  fresh  burrow.  This,  however,  is  only 
conjectured,  as  is  the  theory  that  the  parasite  not  only  lays  an 
egg,  but  closes  the  burrow  herself. 

One  of  the  most  curious  points  connected  with  these  insects 
is  the  fact  that  the  Solitary  Bee  never  interferes  with  the 
parasite.  Mr.  F.  Smith  has  the  following  remarks  on  this  sub- 
ject :  '  I  have  on  several  occasions  watched  with  much  enjoy- 
ment a  large  colony  of  Eucera  longicornis '  (this  will  be  pre- 
sently described) ;  '  the  males  occasionally  darting  forwards 
with  great  velocity,  then  turning  sharply  round,  and  as  it  were 
swimming  in  circles  close  to  the  ground ;  then  darting  off  again 
and  again  in  an  unceasing  round  of  sportive  enjoyment.  Their 
industrious  partners,  whose  whole  existence  appears  to  be  bound 
up  in  one  unceasing  round  of  labour,  would  occasionally  return 
home  laden  with  food  for  their  young  progeny. 

'  Sometimes  it  would  happen  that  a  Nomada  had  previously 
entered  her  nest.  When  such  proved  to  be  the  case,  she 
would  issue  from  it,  and,  flying  off  to  a  short  distance,  wait 
patiently   until    the    parasite    came    forth,    when   she   would 


CUCKOO  BEES.  36X 

re-enter  and  deposit  her  burden.  It  will  be  observed  in  this 
instance,  that  between  Eucera  and  Nomada  no  resemblance 
exists  in  general  appearance,  one  being  several  times  larger 
than  the  other,  and  covered  with  pubescence  of  a  sombre 
colour ;  whereas  the  parasite  is  a  gaily-coloured  insect,  desti- 
tute of  pubescence,  and  readily  observed  from  the  brightness 
of  its  colouring.' 

As  the  result  of  long,  laborious,  and  minute  examination, 
Mr.  Smith  is  of  opinion  that  the  Nomada  is  parasitic  upon 
the  food,  and  not  upon  the  larva  of  the  Solitary  Bee,  and  that 
when  the  latter  finds  an  egg  in  her  burrow,  she  deserts  it  and 
goes  off  to  make  another.  Altogether,  twenty-four  British 
species  of  a  Nomada  are  known.  The  generic  name  Nomada 
is  Greek,  and  signifies  a  creature  that  wanders  in  search  of 
food  and  has  no  fixed  home. 

On  Woodcut  XXXVI.  Figs.  1  and  2,  are  shown  both  sexes  of 
the  parasitic  bee  called  Goelioxys  simplex.  One  of  the  most 
striking  points  in  this  genus  is  the  strongly  marked  difference 
in  form  of  the  two  sexes.  In  the  female,  as  seen  at  Fig.  2, 
the  abdomen  is  peculiarly  sharp,  giving  occasion  for  the 
generic  title  of  Goelioxys,  or  '  sharp-bellied.'  The  abdomen  of 
the  male,  however,  is  broad,  and  boldly  toothed  at  the  end. 
The  head  is  as  wide  as  the  thorax,  and  the  ocelli  are  placed 
upon  the  crown  in  a  triangular  form ;  the  eyes  are  rather  long 
and  hairy.  The  thorax  is  rather  globular,  and  the  scutellum 
has  a  tooth  on  either  side.  The  upper  wings  have  one  mar- 
ginal and  two  submarginal  cells,  as  shown  in  the  illustration. 

The  present  species  is  perhaps  the  most  plentiful  of  its 
genus,  of  which  six  British  species  are  known,  all  being 
parasitic  on  Solitary  Bees.  The  colour  of  the  insect  is  black, 
with  a  very  pale  yellowish  down  on  the  head  and  thorax.  The 
wings  are  dusky,  but  translucent,  and  are  darker  towards  their 
tips.  The  abdomen  is  shining  black,  with  a  few  large  punc- 
tures. These  Cuckoo-bees  are  often  parasitic  on  the  well- 
known  Leaf-cutter  Bees,  one  of  which  is  shown  at  Fig.  5  of 
the  same  Woodcut. 

In  the  Bee  which  is  drawn  on  Woodcut  XXXVI.  Fio-.  3 
we  have  an  example  of  parasitism   carried  out   to  a  curious 


362 


INSECTS  AT  HOME. 


extent,  as  we  shall  presently  see.  Its  name  is  Melecta  armata. 
The  genus  to  which  this  Bee  belongs  has  the  head  transverse, 
and  the  ocelli  set  in  a  line  upon  the  crown.  The  upper  wings 
have  one  marginal  and  three  submarginal  cells.  There  are 
only  two  species  of  Melecta  known  to  inhabit  England,  the 
present  species  being  the  more  common  of  the  two. 


xxxvi 


1.  Coelioxys  simplex,  male.      2.  Do.,  female, 
female.        5.  Megacblle  centnncularls,  female. 


3.  Melecta  armata,  female.       4,  Osmia  rufa, 


The  colour  of  the  insect  is  variable,  but  is  mostly  as 
follows : — The  general  colour  is  black,  and  the  greater  part  of 
the  body  is  covered  with  ashen  grey  down.  There  is  a  tuft  of 
white  down  on  either  side  of  the  thorax,  and  the  wings  are 
transparent,  but  clouded  towards  their  tips.  The  abdomen  is 
shining  black,  with  the  exception  of  a  white  patch  on  either 
side  of  the  base,  another  on  the  second  segment,  and  a  very 
small  white  spot  on  each  side  of  the  third  and  fourth  segments. 


THE  SOLITAEY  BEE  AND  ITS  ENEMIES.  363 

In  some  specimens  the  white  spots  do  not  appear,  so  that  the 
insect  is  entirely  black.  Both  sexes  are  coloured  much  in  the 
same  manner,  with  the  exception  that  the  whole  of  the  downy 
clothing-  has  a  slight  yellowish  tinge. 

This  is  a  parasitic  insect,  laying  its  eggs  in  the  nest  of  one 
of  the  burrowing  bees,  named  Anthophora  acervorum.  This 
Bee  makes  its  nest  in  the  holes  of  old  walls,  chalk-pits,  and 
similar  localities,  and  is  a  very  common  insect,  absolutely 
swarming  in  some  localities.  It  is  subject  to  the  attacks  of 
three  other  insects,  which  are  the  common  Earwig,  the  Firetail- 
fly,  already  described  on  page  330,  and  the  Melecta,  the  two 
Hymenopterous  foes  being  often  seen  at  once  engaged  in  their 
destructive  work.  The  Melecta  is,  however,  itself  much 
infested  with  the  larvse  of  the  Oil-beetle,  which  may  be  found 
clinging  to  the  under  side  of  the  thorax. 

At  Fig.  4,  Woodcut  XXXVI.  is  shown  an  example  of  one  of 
our  most  interesting  groups  of  wild  Bees,  named  scientifically 
Osmia  rufa.  The  specimen  is  a  female.  In  this  genus 
the  upper  wings  have  one  marginal  and  two  submarginal 
cells.  The  ocelli  are  set  in  a  slight  curve  on  the  crown  of  the 
head. 

The  present  species  is  black  and  hairy.  The  head  of  the 
female  is  provided  with  a  sort  of  horn  on  either  side  of  the 
face,  the  ends  of  the  horns  being  slightly  bent  inwards.  The 
down  on  the  middle  or  disc  of  the  thorax  is  black,  becoming 
dun  towards  the  base,  while  on  the  sides  and  beneath  it  is  ashen 
grey.  The  male  has  no  horns  on  the  head,  and  the  face  is 
covered  with  long  white  down.  The  antenna  are  long  and 
slender,  and  the  head  and  thorax,  instead  of  being  black,  are 
deep  green-blue.  The  abdomen  is  covered  with  thick  yellowish 
down  arranged  in  successive  bands  or  belts. 

I  mentioned  just  now  that  this  insect  belongs  to  one  of  our 
most  interesting  groups  of  Bees.  It  has  always  interested  me 
greatly  on  account  of  the  curious  nests  which  it  makes. 
Generally,  one  species  adheres  strictly  to  one  kind  of  locality, 
but  this  is  not  the  case  with  the  Osmia,  which  adapts  its 
cells  to  various  localities,  according  to  the  exigencies  of  the 
moment.  There  are  ten  species  of  Osmia,  each  having  some 
particular  point  of  interest  attached  to  its  mode  of  nesting. 


364  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

Take,  for  example,  Osmia  bicolor.  This  insect  generally 
makes  its  cell  within  the  empty  shells  of  garden  snails,  not 
because  it  is  unable  to  make  a  burrow,  but  because  it  finds  the 
empty  shells  to  be  as  good  as  ready-made  burrows.  So  it  begins 
by  depositing  an  egg  at  the  end  of  the  whorl,  putting  in  a  suf- 
ficiency of  honey  and  pollen,  and  making  a  partition  wall  of 
some  vegetable  substance.  A  second  chamber  is  then  formed  in 
like  manner,  and  so  on  until  the  Bee  has  reached  the  mouth  of 
the  shell,  which  it  closes  with  a  strong  barrier. 

There  is  in  the  British  Museum  a  very  curious  example  of 
sagacity  in  this  Bee,  showing  clearly  that  the  insect  possesses 
some  share  of  reasoning  powers  as  well  as  mere  instinct.  She 
had  taken  the  shell  of  the  large  garden  snail,  and  when  she  came 
near  the  mouth,  found  that  it  was  much  too  large.  So,  instead 
of  proceeding  after  the  usual  fashion,  she  has  made  two  cells 
and  placed  them  side  by  side,  and  close  to  the  mouth  itself 
has  actually  set  the  cells  crosswise. 

As,  in  order  to  emerge  into  the  air,  it  is  necessary  for  the 
inhabitants  of  the  lower  cells  to  pass  through  the  others,  this 
necessity  is  met  in  a  very  simple  manner.  Those  eggs  which 
are  laid  in  the  outermost  cells  produce  males,  and  are  developed 
before  the  others,  so  that  those  insects  which  inhabit  the  cells 
immediately  beneath  them  can  pass  through  their  deserted 
homes. 

Another  species,  Osmia  lev,coinelana,  burrows  in  bramble- 
sticks,  not  taking  out  the  whole  of  the  pith,  but  scraping  out  a 
series  of  chambers,  which  are  connected  by  small  passages,  so 
that  the  walls  of  division  take  but  little  material. 

Another  species,  Osmia  fulviventris,  makes  its  bm-rows  in 
decaying  wood ;  while  another,  Osmia  parietana — a  northern 
species — chooses  the  under  surface  of  stones.  There  is  in  the 
British  Museum  a  stone,  measuring  ten  inches  by  six,  on  which 
are  no  less  than  two  hundred  and  thirty  cells  of  this  Bee.  Mr. 
F.  Smith  took  charge  of  this  mass  of  cells,  and  found  that  the 
Bees  escaped  at  intervals  during  three  years.  '  When  found, 
one-third  were  developed.  The  following  year  a  second  brood 
came  forth,  and  while  in  my  possession  a  third.  In  the  first 
instance,  the  whole  deposit  was  subject  to  the  same  influences 
and  had  produced  larvae ;  what  was  the  cause  of  the  retarded 
development  of  the  rest,  it  were  vain  to  attempt  to  determine.' 


HOOP-SHAVER  BEE.  365 

To  the  next  genus  belong  those  curious  Bees  which  are  popu- 
larly called  Leaf-cutter  Bees,  because  they  line  their  burrows 
with  pieces  of  various  leaves,  those  of  the  rose  being  the  favour- 
ites. They  burrow  in  various  materials,  and  sometimes  the  same 
species  makes  its  tunnels  in  decaying  wood  or  in  sandstone. 
The  species  which  is  shown  on  Woodcut  XXXVI.  Fig.  5, 
Megachile  centuncularis,  sometimes  burrows  in  decaying  wood, 
sometimes  in  old  walls,  and  sometimes  in  the  ground. 

In  this  genus  the  head  is  large,  and  the  ocelli  are  set  in  a 
triangle  on  the  crown.  The  upper  wings  have  one  marginal 
and  two  submarginal  cells,  and  the  females  have  a  very  thick 
pollen-brush  on  the  abdomen.  This  species,  which  is  very 
plentiful,  is  black,  with  ashen  grey  down,  becoming  yellowish 
on  the  face.  The  disc  of  the  thorax  is  nearly  naked.  The 
abdomen  is  heart-shaped  in  the  female,  and  longer  and  blunter 
in  the  male,  and  each  segment  has  a  very  narrow  edging  of 
pale  yellow  down.  Beneath,  the  down  is  bright  golden  yellow. 
It  must  here  be  remarked  that  these  colours  are  only  to  be 
found  in  specimens  recently  escaped  from  the  pupal  cell,  the 
beautiful  hues  fading  by  exposure. 

On  Woodcut  XXXVII.  Fig.  1,  is  a  rather  magnified  figure 
of  the  insect  called  by  Gilbert  White  the  Hoop-shaver  Bee, 
from  a  habit  which  will  be  presently  described.  In  this  genus, 
of  which  only  one  species  is  known  to  inhabit  England,  the  head 
is  nearly  as  wide  as  the  thorax,  and  the  ocelli  are  set  in  a  tri- 
angular form  rather  forward  on  the  crown.  The  upper  wings 
have  one  marginal  and  two  submarginal  cells,  and  the  abdomen 
is  rather  curved,  and  furnished  in  the  female  with  a  thick  pollen- 
brush,  and  in  the  male  with  spikes  at  the  end,  as  seen  in  the 
illustration.  The  present  species  has  five  of  these  spines.  Its 
colour  is  exceedingly  variable  in  detail,  but  is  generally  black, 
with  yellow  on  the  sides  of  the  face  and  the  clypeus.  The  ab- 
domen has  a  yellow  spot  on  either  side  of  each  segment. 

The  Bee  is  a  burrower  in  the  decayed  wood  of  willow- 
trees,  but,  if  possible,  slie  will  take  advantage  of  the  deserted 
burrows  of  the  Groat-moth,  which  will  be  described  in  the  fol- 
lowing pages.  In  order  to  prepare  a  home  for  its  future  young, 
it  goes  to  some  down-covered  plant,  such  as  the  campion,  and 
strips  oflf  the  woolly  covering,  running  along  the  stem,  and 


366 


INSECTS  AT  HOME. 


shaving  it  quite  bare.  It  then  collects  the  bundle  of  down 
between  its  head  and  fore-legs,  carries  it  off  to  the  burrow, 
and  with  it  makes  a  cocoon-like  cell,  binding  together  the 
fibres  of  down  with  some  kind  of  glutinous  material.  Within 
this  cell  it  places  an  egg  and  a  quantity  of  pollen  sufficient  to 
last  the   young  grub  throughout  its  larval  condition.     When 

IlZYLl 


1.  Anthidium  manicatum.        2.  Bombus  lapitlarius,  female.      3.  Do.,  neuter.      4.  Do.,  male. 
a.  Tongue  of  Anthidium.        6,  Tongue  of  Bombus.        c.  Mandible  of  Anthidium. 


full-fed,  the  larva  spins  within  its  cell  a  silken  cocoon,  from 
which  it  emerges  in  its  j)erfect  state  somewhere  about  Mid- 
summer. 

This  Bee  presents  one  very  remarkable  point  of  difference 
from  insects  in  general,  the  male  being  as  much  larger  than 
the  female  as  the  female  is  usually  larger  than  the  male.  The 
species  is  quite  a  common  one,  especially  towards  the  south  of 
England. 


USE   OF  A   NOTCH.  3fi7 

The  Bee  which  occupies  the  centre  of  Phite  XII.  well 
deserves  its  names  of  Eucera  longicornis.  The  former  of 
these  two  names  is  Greek,  and  signifies  '  beautiful  horns,' 
while  the  latter  is  Latin,  and  signifies  '  long-horned.'  Both 
titles  are  given  to  the  insect  on  account  of  the  great  length  of 
the  antennae  of  the  male,  which  are  as  long  as  the  head, 
thorax,  and  body  together.  These  antennae  are  very  remark- 
able when  viewed  through  the  microscope,  the  joints  being 
covered  with  honeycomb-like  markings,  as  if  a  net  with  six- 
sided  meshes  had  been  drawn  over  them.  The  ocelli  are  set  in 
a  slight  curve  on  the  crown  of  the  head,  and  the  upper  wings 
have  one  marginal  and  two  submarginal  cells. 

Only  one  species  is  known  in  England.  It  is  black,  clothed 
with  a  dun-coloui-ed  down,  changing  to  very  pale  yellow  on  the 
sides,  and  ashen  grey  beneath. 

This  is  one  of  the  burrowing  Bees,  preferring  a  hard,  clay 
soil  for  that  purpose.  It  needs  no  lining  for  the  cells,  but 
kneads  the  clay  wall  of  its  cell  so  hard  and  smooth  that  it  is 
able  to  hold  the  soft  paste  of  pollen  and  honey  with  which  it 
is  stored.  Some  of  the  habits  of  this  insect  have  been 
mentioned  when  treating  of  the  Firetailed-fly  (p.  331).  Mr. 
F.  Smith  has  the  following  remarks  on  this  Bee  :  '  It  does 
not  spin  a  cocoon,  but  passes  the  winter  in  the  larva  state, 
changing  about  the  end  of  April  to  the  pupa,  and  shortly 
after  arriving  at  its  perfect  condition.  The  pupa  throws  off  a 
thin,  transparent  shroud.  The  male,  on  emerging  from  its 
cell,  passes  its  long  antennae  through  the  notch  at  the  base  of 
the  first  joint  of  the  anterior  tarsus,  drawing  the  antennae 
through,  and  thus  readily  divests  those  -organs  of  the  thin 
pellicle  in  which  they  are  enveloped.  Here  we  see  another 
beautiful  exemplification  of  the  truth  that  "  nothing  is  made 
in  vain."  The  long  antennae  of  the  males  of  this  genus 
are  doubtless  adapted  to  some  peculiar  phase  in  their 
economy,  and  the  remarkable  hexagonal  reticulation  of  the 
joints  also  answers  some  pui-pose  connected  with  a  peculiar 
sense  the  exact  functions  of  which  we  are  unable  to  ap- 
preciate- ' 

This  is  not  a  rare  insect,  but  in  some  localities  is  much 
more  plentiful  than  in  others,  forming  large  colonies,  and 
almost  honeycombing  the  earth  with  its  bm-rows. 


368  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 


CHAPTEE  V. 

SOCIAL    BEES. 

The  Social  Bees  may  be  roughly  divided  into  two  groups, 
the  Wild  Bees  and  the  Domesticated  Bees.  I  use  the  latter 
terms  intentionally  in  the  plural  number,  because  there  are 
several  species  of  Domesticated  Bees,  two  of  which  are  culti- 
vated in  this  country.  "We  will  begin  with  the  Wild  Social 
Bees,  popularly  known  as  Humble  Bees,  Hummel  Bees,  or 
DuMBLE  Bees,  the  popular  name  evidently  referring  to  the 
deep  humming  sound  which  they  produce  when  on  the  wing. 
In  this  country  the  greater  part  of  them  constitute  .one  genus, 
namely  Bombus,  of  which  we  will  take  some  of  the  most 
conspicuous  insects  as  examples  of  the  rest. 

In  this  genus  of  Bees,  the  body  is  egg-shaped,  and  thickly 
covered  with  hair.  The  head  is  somewhat  triangular  in  form, 
and  the  antennae  are  slender,  elbowed,  and  a  little  longer 
than  the  head.  On  the  crown  there  is  a  semilunar  groove  or 
impression,  in  which  the  ocelli  are  placed.  The  mandibles  are 
stout,  and  their  tips  are  rounded  and  grooved.  The  upper 
wings  have  one  marginal  and  three  submarginal  cells.  The 
females  have  on  the  tibia  of  the  hind  legs  a  thick  fringe  of 
stiff  hairs,  which  forms  a  sort  of  basket  for  carrying  the 
pollen  with  which  the  young  are  fed.  This  apparatus  is 
scientifically  termed  the  corbicula,  or  little  basket.  In  the 
males,  the  mandibles  are  fringed  with  cmied  hair,  and  there 
are  no  pollen-baskets  on  the  hind  legs. 

The  history  of  these  Bees  is  at  once  interesting,  simple,  and 
perplexing,  and  perhaps  is  the  more  interesting  on  account  of 
the  extraordinary  and  apparently  contradictory  mixture  of 
simplicity  and  complication.  Everyone  knows  the  Humble 
Bees,  but    it    is    not  everyone  who    can  say,   upon   seeing  a 


THE  CARDEE  BEE.  369 

Humble  Bee,  to  which  species  it  belongs.  Eighteen  species  of 
Humble  Bee  exist  in  this  country,  and,  except  in  some  of  the 
more  prominent  species,  it  is  not  easy  to  identify  the  insects. 
Varieties  in  colour  and  size  are  almost  interminable,  especially 
among  the  males ;  and  so  striking  are  these  varieties,  that 
INIr.  F.  Smith  did  not  dare  to  publish  his  researches  on  the 
Humble  Bees  until  he  had  worked  for  more  than  twenty 
years  at  them.  The  result  of  his  labours  has  been — as  is  the 
result  of  all  true  labour — simplification.  He  has  found  that 
no  less  than  seven  species  described  by  Kirby  are  but  varieties 
of  the  Carder  Humble  Bee,  and  that  six  more  so-called 
species  are  varieties  of  the  Meadow  Humble  Bee. 

Our  first  example  of  these  insects  is  the  Carder  Bee 
{Bombus  muscorum),  so  called  on  account  of  the  curious 
manner  in  which  it  constructs  its  nest.  One  of  these  insects  is 
represented  on  Plate  XII.  Fig.  2,  in  the  act  of  flying,  and 
with  its  tongue  extended.  Part  of  the  nest  itself  is  seen 
below,  with  one  of  the  inhabitants  just  entering  it. 

The  colouring  and  dimensions  of  this  Bee  are  exceedingly 
variable,  but  the  following  description  is  that  which  has  been 
decided  upon  by  Mr.  F.  Smith :— The  Bee  is  very  hairy, 
and  the  general  colour  of  the  female  is  black,  with  the  face 
covered  with  dull  yellow  down.  The  thorax  is  orange  above, 
yellow  on  the  sides,  and  grey  beneath.  The  abdomen  is  more 
or  less  banded  with  black.  The  male  is  less  than  the  female, 
'and  has  the  down  on  the  head  of  pale  yellow,  becoming 
blackish  on  the  crown.  The  abdomen  is  yellowish-grey,  with 
several  ill-defined  dark  bands.  The  worker  is  often  barely 
half  the  size  of  the  male,  and  in  colour  almost  exactly  re- 
sembling the  female. 

The  habits  of  this  species  are  very  interesting.  During  thc> 
winter,  a  number  of  females  or  '  queens '  lie  torjjid,  as  do  those 
of  the  wasp  and  hornet,  in  any  convenient  crevice  that  they  can 
find,  seldom  if  ever  remaining  for  that  purpose  in  the  nest 
which  they  inhabited.  Hollow  tree-trunks,  haystacks,  the  thatch 
of  barns  and  outhouses,  and  similar  localities,  are  much  favoured 
by  these  females,  the  intended  progenitors  of  future  colonies. 

In  the  spring,  the  Bees  recover  consciousness,  and  at  once 
set  to  work  in  searching  after  fit  spots  for  nest-building.     It  is 

B  S 


370  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

very  interesting  to  watch  a  Carder  Bee  thus  engaged.  In 
the  early  part  of  the  present  year,  I  watched  for  nearly  an  hour 
the  proceedings  of  a  Carder  Bee,  who  fortunately  restricted 
herself  to  a  small  patch  of  ground.  The  soil  is  very  light, 
partly  covered  with  ferns,  and  on  it  are  one  or  two  oak  trees, 
one  of  large  size.  There  is  also  plenty  of  moss  within  a  few 
yards,  so  that  the  locality  is  a  very  favoui'able  one.  As  long 
as  she  was  on  the  wing  I  had  to  be  very  quiet,  as  she  would 
have  taken  alarm  at  a  sudden  movement,  but  whenever  she 
settled  I  was  able  to  approach  her  quite  closely.  She  investi- 
gated almost  every  inch  of  ground,  trying  it  in  all  directions, 
and  apparently  testing  the  character  of  the  soil  by  scratching  it 
with  her  feet.  At  last,  she  evidently  fixed  upon  a  convenient 
spot — a  small  hollow  in  the  ground  near  the  roots  of  an  oak. 

She  was  so  absorbed  in  her  work,  that  I  was  able  to  kneel 
down  and  watch  her  through  a  magnifying  glass  without  dis- 
turbing her.  At  last,  I  thought  I  would  try  a  small  practical 
joke,  and  built  over  her  a  small  hut  of  twigs  and  leaves.  She  was 
still  so  preoccupied  that  she  took  no  notice,  until  I  pushed  her 
gently  with  a  grass  stem  through  the  interstices  of  the  hut. 
This  treatment  roused  her  from  her  abstraction,  and  she 
bounced  up  against  the  roof  of  the  miniatui'e  hut  in  great 
perturbation,  at  last  forcing  her  way  through  it,  and  going  off 
at  full  speed  and  with  an  angry  hum. 

When  the  Bee  has  fixed  upon  a  suitable  spot,  she  procui'es 
some  vegetable  substance,  generally  moss,  but  sometimes  dead 
leaves,  grass,  fern-fronds,  &c.,  and  draws  them  through  her 
legs,  much  as  wool  is  carded.  With  these  materials  she  builds 
a  sort  of  low  dome,  so  arranged  as  to  harmonise  with  sur- 
rounding objects,  and  look  like  a  mere  swelling  of  the  ground. 
Mr.  F.  Smith  mentions  an  instance  in  which  the  Bee  flew  into 
a  stable,  and  carried  off  a  quantity  of  horsehair,  which  she  wove 
into  a  nest  as  if  it  had  been  moss.  In  order  to  preserve  the 
.  interior  from  rain,  she  lines  the  dome  with  a  coarse  wax,  similar 
in  nature,  though  not  in  quality,  to  that  of  the  Hive  Bee,  and 
under  its  protection  she  makes  a  series  of  cells.  These  cells 
are  not  in  the  least  like  the  delicate,  sharply  defined,  hex- 
agonal cells  of  the  Hive  Bee,  but  are  oval,  and  distributed 
almost  at  random. 

In  them  are  laid  the  eggs  which  at  first  produce  worker 
Bees,  they  being  needful  in  order  to  help  the  Queen  Bee  in 


PLATE    XII. 
HUMBLE     BEES. 


1.  Bombus  lucorum  (Female). 

2.  Bombus  miiscorum  (Female). 

3.  Apathus  vestalis  (Female). 

4.  Eucera  longicomis  (Male). 

Plants  : — 

Hawthorn.     Above. 

Sea  Campion  (^Silene  maritima).    Below. 


WOOD  HUMBLE  BEE.  371 

forming  a  large  colony.  The  larvae  soon  become  full-fed,  and 
then  spin  a  silken  cocoon,  in  which  they  pass  their  helpless 
state.  When  they  have  attained  the  perfect  condition,  they 
gnaw  round  the  top  of  their  cocoons,  and  escape  by  means  of 
the  circular  orifice.  When  they  first  emerge,  their  colours  are 
very  ill-defined,  and  several  days  elapse  before  the  long  down 
with  which  they  are  so  profusely  clothed  changes  to  its  varied 
and  beautiful  colouring. 

On  Plate  XII.  Fig.  1,  is  shown  another  well-known  species  of 
Humble  Bee,  with  her  nest.  This  is  the  Wood  Humble  Bee 
{Bomhus  lucorum).  The  colour  of  this  Bee  is  black,  with  the 
front  of  the  thorax  and  the  second  segment  of  the  abdomen 
yellow,  and  the  end  of  the  body  white.  The  worker  is  scarcely 
half  the  size  of  the  perfect  female,  but  is  coloured  after  the 
same  fashion.  The  male  is  intermediate  in  size,  and  has  the 
face,  the  front  of  the  thorax,  the  scutellum,  and  the  two  first 
segments  of  the  abdomen  yellow,  and  the  three  last  segments 
of  the  belly  white.  Beneath  it  is  yellowish-white,  and  on  the 
tibiffi  is  a  fringe  of  yellow  hairs. 

This  is  one  of  the  earliest  of  the  Humble  Bees  in  appearing, 
and  is  generally  spread  over  the  kingdom.  Like  one  or  two 
other  species,  it  makes  its  nest  underground,  and  is  rather  a 
ferocious  sort  of  Bee,  resenting  even  an  approach  to  its  nest,  and 
using  its  large  sting  very  freely.  Many  persons  have  an  idea 
that  Humble  Bees  cannot  sting,  an  idea  that  is  probably 
originated  from  the  fact  that  at  certain  times  of  the  year  the 
male  Bees,  which  have  no  sting,  are  rather  more  plentiful  than 
the  females. 

Not  that  they  are  more  numerous,  but  that  we  see  more  of 
them,  because  the  male  Bees  have  no  hard  duties  to  perform  at 
home.  They  collect  no  honey  nor  pollen,  they  secrete  no  wax, 
they  build  no  cells,  and  they  nurse  no  young.  Those  Bees  within 
the  nest  are  almost  invariably  females,  while  those  which  roam 
about  at  their  ease  from  flower  to  flower  are  very  often  males, 
and  consequently  cannot  sting  their  captors.  If  anyone  doubts 
whether  the  female  Humble  Bees  have  stings,  let  him  attack 
the  nest  of  any  of  the  underground  species,  particularly  that  of 
the  Stone  Humble  Bee,  and  he  will  be  speedily  convinced  of  his 
error.     I  have  taken  the  nest  of  most  of  the  British  Humble 

B  B  2 


372  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

Bees,  and  can  testify  that,  whereas  the  females  of  the  Carder 
Bees  take  such  attacks  quietly,  and  seldom  use  their  stings, 
those  species  which  build  underground  resent  the  assault,  and 
very  soon  let  their  assailants  know  that  they  have  stings  and  can 
use  them. 

The  Plate  gives  a  very  good  idea  of  the  Wood  Humble 
Bee's  nest,  and  of  the  shape  and  position  of  the  cells.  The 
wax  of  which  they  are  made  is  coarse  and  brown,  and  the  walls 
of  the  cells  are  of  considerable  thickness.  They  are  of  various 
sizes,  according  as  they  are  intended  to  serve  as  the  habitations 
of  females,  males,  or  workers.  Some  contain  honey,  which  is 
usually  of  a  pinker  hue  than  that  of  the  Hive  Bee,  and  is 
peculiarly  sweet  and  fragrant.  It  is,  however,  seldom  fit  for 
food,  as  it  gives  a  violent  headache  to  most  persons,  myself 
among  the  number.  I  have  suffered  severely  from  a  hard, 
throbbing  headache,  caused  by  eating  scarcely  a  teaspoonful  of 
this  insect's  honey,  before  I  found  out  its  evil  qualities.  It  is 
a  pity  that  the  honey  should  have  such  an  effect,  for  it  is  far 
superior  in  flavour  to  that  of  the  Hive  Bee,  having  a  sort  of 
delicate  perfume  about  it. 

The  size  as  well  as  the  position  of  the  nest  differs  greatly. 
Sometimes  there  are  but  a  few  cells,  and  sometimes  the  colony 
is  so  strong  that  there  are  about  two  hundred  cells  in  the  nest. 
The  depth  in  the  ground  also  varies,  much  as  does  that  of  the 
common  wasp,  and  for  the  same  reason.  The  Humble  Bee 
very  seldom,  if  ever,  makes  the  whole  of  the  excavation  in 
which  her  nest  is  placed,  but  takes  advantage  of  a  deserted 
mouse-hole,  and  scoops  out  the  earth  wherever  she  finds  it 
most  convenient. 

Another  species,  the  Stone  Humble  Bee  {Bombus  lapi- 
darius),  is  drawn  on  Woodcut  XXXVII.  Figs.  2,  3,  and  4. 
At  Fig.  2  is  shown  the  perfect  female,  or  Queen  Bee  ;  3  is 
the  imperfect  female,  or  worker,  and  4  the  male,  these 
figures  being  of  the  average  size  of  the  sexes.  This  is  the 
red-hipped  Humble  Bee  '  of  Shakspeare,  and  is  a  very  familiar 
insect.  The  female  is  black,  with  the  three  last  segments 
of  the  abdomen  bright  rusty-red.  The  worker  is  coloured 
like  the  female,  and  the  male  is  black,  with  yellow  down  on 
the  face,  top  of  the  head,  and  collar.     Yellow  hairs  are  also 


THE  STONE  HUMBLE  BEE.  373 

scattered  on  the  scutellum  and  first  segment  of  the  abdomen, 
the  four  last  segments  of  which  are  red. 

This  is  a  very  common  species,  and  derives  its  name  of 
lapidarius  from  tlie  fact  that  it  always,  if  possible,  constructs 
its  nest  under  stones.  Those  heaps  of  rough  stones  which  are 
often  left  for  several  years  on  the  sides  of  country  roads  are 
favoured  habitations  of  this  Bee,  which  seems  to  consider  that 
not  only  the  particular  stone-heap  which  it  has  chosen,  but 
also  a  considerable  surrounding  space,  is  its  own  property.  In 
most  cases,  the  attacks  of  the  Bees  are  so  fierce  that  anyone 
who  is  tempted  to  linger  near  the  heap  finds  himself  obliged 
to  remove  at  once  from  the  vicinity  of  these  irritable  insects. 

It  does  not,  however,  absolutely  restrict  itself  to  such  habi- 
tations, for  stone-heaps  are  not  to  be  found  everywhere,  and  so 
it  has  to  put  up  with  burrows  in  the  ground,  preferring  such 
places  as  banks  and  the  roots  of  trees. 

On  the  upper  part  of  Plate  XII.  Fig.  3,  is  represented  a  very 
remarkable  insect.  At  first  sight,  anyone  would  say  that  it  wfts 
a  Humble  Bee  ;  and,  as  the  insect  may  be  found  in  Humble 
Bees'  nests,  it  may  well  be  ranked  among  their  number.  Yet, 
as  we  shall  presently  see,  it  must  not  be  reckoned  among  these 
insects,  and,  though  with  them,  it  is  scarcely  of  them. 

The  genus  Apathus  very  much  resembles  Bombus  in  its 
characteristics.  But  it  has  no  pollen-baskets  in  the  female, 
the  tibia  of  the  male  is  convex  on  the  outside,  and  there  is  no 
worker.  The  absence  of  the  pollen-basket  in  the  female  and 
the  convexity  of  the  hind  tibiae  in  the  male  are  the  most 
striking  points  of  difference. 

We  naturally  ask  ourselves,  why  the  Apathus  does  not 
possess  the  pollen-basket.  The  reason  is,  that  it  does  not 
require  it.  It  does  not  work,  but  subsists  on  the  labour  of 
others,  and  that  in  a  very  curious  manner.  As  a  general  rule, 
the  presence  of  parasites  in  a  nest  is  exceedingly  troublesome 
to  the  rightful  inmates,  who  resent  with  all  their  power  the 
presence  of  the  intruder.  This,  however,  is  not  the  case  with 
the  Apathus. 

Mr.  F.  Smith,  who  has  paid  great  attention  to  this  curious 
subject,  and  has  thoroughly  tested  and  investigated  the  re- 
searches of  Kirby,  the  original  discoverer  of   the   distinction 


374  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

between  the  Apathus  and  the  Humble  Bee,  has  the  foUo'wing 
remarks  on  these  insects  : — 

'  Although  the  parasitic  connection  between  these  and  the 
true  Bombi  has  long  been  conjectured,  no  author  has  hitherto 
found  them  in  the  nests  of  the  working  species.  Although 
I  have  taken  or  examined  a  very  large  number  of  the  nests 
of  Bombus,  I  have  only  occasionally  met  with  the  parasites  in 
them ;  but  never  in  the  nests  of  the  brown  Humble  Bees.  .  .  . 

'  What  oflSce  these  Bees  perform  in  the  economy  of  the  nest 
has  not  been  discovered.  They  live  on  the  most  friendly 
terms  with  the  industrious  part  of  the  community,  and  it  is 
probable  that  upon  them  devolves  some  important  office,  the 
nature  of  which  it  would  be  very  interesting  to  discover.  It 
has  been  supposed,  from  the  very  close  resemblance  of  the 
Apathi  to  the  Bombi,  that  the  former  are  an  idle  race  reared 
at  the  expense  of  the  industrious  Bees,  and  wearing  a  livery 
in  imitation  of  them,  for  the  purpose  of  deception.  But, 
there  can  be  little  doubt  of  these  aristocrats  of  the  community 
;^erforming  important  and  necessary  duties  highly  conducive  to 
the  general  prosperity  of  the  whole.  That  the  close  resem- 
blance of  these  Bees  is  not  for  the  purpose  of  deception  is  at 
once  proved  by  the  fact  of  Apathus  barbatellus,  a  yellow- 
bearded  Bee,  being  found  in  the  nest  of  Bombus  Derhamellus, 
a  black  species,  having  the  tip  of  the  body  red  ;  and  we  have 
already  seen  that  amongst  the  solitary  Bees  the  greatest 
difference  in  appearance  exists.' 

The  colour  of  this  species  is  black,  with  a  broad  orange 
band  in  front  of  the  thorax.  The  abdomen  is  shining  and  less 
covered  with  down  than  is  the  case  with  the  true  Humble 
Bees.  TherQ  is  a  little  white  down  on  the  sides  of  the  third 
segment,  followed  by  yellowish  down  on  the  fourth  and  fifth, 
and  the  sixth  has  a  little  reddish  tuft  at  the  tip.  This  is  the 
colouring  of  the  female.  That  of  the  male  is  somewhat  similar 
but  brighter,  the  wings  are  slightly  clouded  at  their  tips,  and 
there  is  some  yellow  down  on  the  scutellum  and  the  first 
segment  of  the  abdomen.  The  insect  is  quite  a  common  one, 
and  is  parasitic  in  the  nest  of  the  Common  Humble  Bee 
{Bombus  terrestns). 

The  whole  of  Woodcut  XXXVIII.  is  devoted  to  one  insect, 


THE  HIVE  BEE. 


375 


the  common  Hive  Bee  (Apis  nielUficd).  The  three  sexes  are 
shown  at  P^igs.  1,  2,  and  3.  Fig.  1  represents  the  perfect 
female,  or  'queen,'  of  which  there  are  very  few  in  one 
community,  and  only  one  that  is  active.  Fig.  2  is  the  male  or 
*  drone '  Bee,  of  which  a  considerable  number  exist '  for  a 
limited  period,  and  Fig.  3  is  the  worker,  of  which  the  popula- 
tion of  the  commimity  is  chiefly  composed. 


1.  Apis  inelHfica,  female.  2.  Do.,  male.  3.  Do.,  neuter.  a.  Antenna,  female. 

h.  Hind  leg,  male.  <;.  Tongue  of  male.  rf.  Antenna,   male.  e.  Mandible,  male. 

/.  Hind  leg,  neuter.        g.  Hind  leg,  female.        h.  Sting  and  venom  glands. 


In  this  genus  the  eyes  of  the  male  are  very  large,  meeting 
on  the  crown,  as  may  be  seen  at  Fig.  2,  and  the  tibiae  of  the 
hind  legs  are  slender  at  the  base,  gradually  widening  to  the 
end,  as  shown  at  Fig.  6.  The  eyes  of  the  female  and  worker 
are  comparatively  small  and  unhairy.  The  workers  have  the 
basal  joint  of  the  tarsi  of  the  hind  legs  concave,  and  covered 
with  transverse  hairy  ridges,  as  shown  at  Fig.  /.     That  of  the 


376  INSECTS  AT   HOME. 

perfect  female,  or  queen,  is  smooth,  as  shown  at  g.  The 
antennae,  too,  are  different  in  the  sexes,  as  may  be  seen  by 
referring  to  Figs,  a  and  d,  the  former  representing  the  antenna 
of  the  female,  and  d  that  of  the  male. 

I  ihay  mention  here  that  the  little  hieroglyphic  marks 
attached  to  the  figures  on  this  and  a  few  other  woodcuts 
denote  the  sex.  They  are,  in  fact,  the  old  astronomical 
figures  used  to  denote  the  planets  by  a  sort  of  short-hand. 
The  circle  with  the  barbed  point  was  used  as  the  emblem  of 
Mars,  and  is  employed  by  naturalists  to  denote  the  male  sex. 
The  circle  with  the  crossed  line  below  it  was  the  emblem  of 
Venus,  and  denotes  the  female  sex,  while  the  circle  with  the 
uncrossed  line  denotes  the  imperfect  female,  or  neuter. 

A  detailed  account  of  this  wonderful  insect  would  be  abso- 
lutely impossible  within  the  limited  space  at  our  command, 
inasmuch  as  the  whole  volume  would  be  consumed  in  such 
an  undertaking.  I  will,  therefore,  only  mention  a  few  of  the 
more  salient  points  connected  with  the  economy  of  the  Hive 
Bees,  and  leave  the  reader  to  look  for  further  information 
into  the  many  excellent  works  which  have  been  written  ex- 
pressly on  this  subject  by  men  practically  skilled  in  bee- 
keeping. 

The  constitution  of  the  community,  or,  as  we  popularly  call 
it,  the  hive,  differs  from  that  of  other  social  insects. 

There  is  but  one  perfect  female  permitted  to  live  within  the 
hive,  her  duty  being  a  very  simple  one — namely,  to  lay  the 
enormous  number  of  eggs  from  which  proceed  the  future 
swarms.  She  never  leaves  the  hive  except  when  she  issues 
into  the  air  to  find  a  mate,  and  she  does  no  work  of  any  kind, 
not  even  requiring  to  feed  herself.  In  form,  she  is  somewhat 
longer  than  the  worker,  and,  though,  when  young,  she  is 
scarcely  different  from  the  worker  in  size,  she  may  be  recognised 
by  the  shortness  of  her  wings,  and  the  manner  in  which  they 
cross  each  other  at  the  tips  as  they  lie  at  rest  on  her  back. 
Her  whereabouts  in  the  hive  can  soon  be  detected  by  a  prac- 
tised eye,  as  there  is  always  a  cluster  of  Bees  around  her,  with 
their  heads  towards  their  sovereign.  They  behave  as  politely 
as  any  modern  courtier.  Wherever  she  goes  they  go  too,  but 
they  never  turn  their  backs  on  her,  always  keeping  a  small 
space   clear  round  her,  just  large  enough  to    enable   her   to 


FORMATION   OF  WAX.  377 

walk,  and  advancing,  retreating,  or  sidling  as  she  happens  to 
move. 

The  males,  or  drones,  are  comparatively  numerous.  They 
can  be  at  once  recognised  by  their  greater  thickness,  and  the 
blunt  abdomen  with  its  little  tufts  of  hair.  Even  on  the  wing 
the  drone  Bee  can  be  distinguished  by  its  low,  dull,  deep  hum. 
It  seems  to  be  much  more  sluggish  in  its  ways  than  the  worker. 
Some  years  ago,  when  I  was  engaged  in  reproducing  the  dis- 
sections of  John  Hunter,  I  supplied  myself  with  drone  Bees,  by 
watching  the  entrance  of  the  hive,  and  taking  the  drones  off 
the  foot-board  as  they  came  out  of  the  hive.  They  seldom 
troubled  themselves  to  make  any  effort  at  escape,  and  I  could 
take  as  many  as  I  liked  without  even  arousing  the  anger 
of  the  workers. 

As  to  the  workers  themselves,  they  are  so  familiar  that 
nothing  need  be  said  about  their  appearance. 

The  constructiqn  of  the  nest  differs  from  that  of  any  other 
insect,  though  it  bears  a  great  resemblance  to  that  of  the  wasp 
or  the  hornet.  The  cells  are  hexagonal,  but  are  made  of  wax 
instead  of  paper.  They  are  double,  being  set  end  to  end,  or 
rather,  base  to  base,  and  lie  nearly  horizontally,  instead  of 
perpendicularly  as  in  the  wasp  tribe.  We  will  glance  at  each 
of  these  points,  and  will  first  take  the  material  of  which  the 
nest  or  '  comb  '  is  made. 

This,  as  we  all  know,  is  wax,  and,  as  most  of  us  know,  is 
secreted  by  the  Bee,  and  not  gathered  from  flowers,  as  was 
formerly  thought  to  be  the  case.  When  the  Bees  are  about  to 
build  a  new  comb  they  hang  in  strings,  holding  by  each  other's 
feet,  and  remain  in  that  position  for  a  considerable  time, 
perfectly  still.  If,  at  the  expiration  of  that  period,  the  under 
side  of  the  insect  be  examined,  six  tiny  white  crescents  will  be 
seen.  These  crescents  are  the  edges  of  the  wax  plates,  which 
project  from  beneath  the  little  flaps  called  '  wax-pockets,' 
With  the  exercise  of  a  little  care,  the  plates  of  wax  may  be 
removed  from  the  pockets,  and  put  up  as  specimens.  Much 
care,  however,  must  be  taken  of  them,  as  I  have  learned  by 
experience.  I  had,  with  some  trouble,  secured  the  six  plates  of 
a  single  Bee,  and  had  arranged  them  in  their  order  upon  a  slip 
of  dark -blue  paper,  which  was  carefully  inserted  into  a  bottle. 
One  bright  summer  day,  a  visitor  was  examining  the  series  of  bee- 


378  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

dissections,  and  was  particularly  pleased  with  the  wax  plates. 
He  took  the  bottle  to  the  window  to  examine  the  plates  more 
easily,  held  the  bottle  in  the  hot  rays  of  the  sun,  and 
melted  the  six  plates  into  six  formless  waxen  drops. 

A  sufficient  quantity  of  wax  being  obtained,  the  Bees  set  to 
work  at  kneading  it  with  their  jaws,  and  continue  to  do  so 
until  they  have  made  it  quite  plastic.  They  then  begin  their 
labours,  and,  urged  by  an  instinct  which  is  quite  beyond  our 
comprehension,  construct  with  this  substance  a  double  set  of 
perfectly  hexagonal  cells,  which  practically  illustrate  the 
problem  of  constructing  a  vessel  which  shall  consume  the 
minimum  of  material  and  hold  the  maximum  of  contents. 
The  mathematical  problems  involved  in  the  structure  of  the 
bee-cell  are  most  interesting,  but  there  is  not  sufficient  space 
at  our  command.  I  would,  therefore,  refer  the  reader  to  my 
'Homes  without  Hands,'  page  428,  in  which  these  problems 
are  given  in  detail.  Suffice  it  to  say  that  the  key  to  the 
structure  of  the  bee-cell  lies  in  the  angles  of  the  three  equal 
lozenge-shaped  plates  which  form  the  base  of  the  cell. 

If  the  reader  will  examine  a  fresh  bee-comb  he  -will  see  that 
the  edges  of  the  cells  are  much  thickened  and  rounded,  besides 
being  rather  darker  and  redder  than  the  wax  which  forms  the 
sides.  The  material  with  which  this  is  done  is  termed  '  pro- 
polis,' and  is  a  gummy  substance  obtained  by  the  Bees  from 
certain  trees,  among  which  the  horse-chestnut  is  conspicuous. 
Everyone  is  familiar  with  the  sticky  substance  that  coats  the 
buds  of  this  tree,  and  guards  them  from  the  weather.  This  is 
the  principal  source  of  the  propolis,  and  the  Bees  may  be  seen 
continually  scraping  off  and  carrying  home  this  material,  which 
they  use  as  a  cement  as  well  as  a  strengthening  edging  to  the 
cells. 

Still  looking  at  the  comb,  the  reader  will  see  that  the  cells 
are  not  quite  horizontal,  but  that  they  slope  slightly  from 
mouth  to  base.  The  object  of  this  slope  is  that  they  shall  the 
more  easily  receive  the  honey  which  is  stored  in  them,  and 
which  is,  when  first  placed  in  the  cells,  nearly  as  transparent 
and  liquid  as  water.  In  fact,  it  is  much  of  the  consistency  of 
eau  sucree.  Honey  is  a  really  peculiar  substance.  It  is  not 
obtained  ready-made  from  the  flowers,  and  simply  transferred 
to  the  cells. 


HONEY  AND  BEE-BREAD.  379 

The  sweet  juice  of  the  flower  is  indeed  to  honey  much  what 
grape-juice  is  to  wine.  It  is  licked  out  of  the  flowers  by  the 
brush-tipped  tongue  of  the  Bee,  and  then  passed  into  the 
honey-bag,  a  nearly  spherical  membranous  sac,  situated  at  the 
base  of  the  abdomen,  close  to  the  short  footstalk  which  conjoins 
the  thorax  and  abdomen.  Within  this  sac  it  undergoes  the 
change  which  converts  it  from  a  mere  saccharine  juice  into 
honey.  What  that  change  is  we  do  not  precisely  know,  nor 
how  it  is  achieved,  for  the  honey-bag  appears  to  be  nothing  more 
than  a  membranous  sac.  Still,  some  change,  and  that  a  great 
one,  is  made,  as  is  evident  from  the  fact  that  if  the  Bees  be 
supplied  with  sugar  and  water  they  make  honey  from  it. 
Despite  this  change,  however,  the  honey  always  retains  some- 
thing of  the  flavour  belonging  to  the  flower  whence  it  was 
obtained,  together  with  some  of  its  properties ;  so  that  there 
have  been  instances  where  those  who  have  eaten  honey  have 
been  nearly  poisoned  by  it,  the  Bees  having  made  it  from 
plants  which  possessed  poisonous  qualities.  That  which  is 
made  from  heather  is  generally  thought  to  be  the  best  and 
purest.  We  may,  perhaps,  ask  ourselves  why  the  Bee  should 
take  the  trouble  of  making  so  many  cells  wherein  to  store  the 
honey,  instead  of  putting  it  into  one  or  two  larger  vessels. 
The  reason  is  that  when  honey  is  taken  out  of  the  cells,  and 
placed  in  larger  vessels,  it  soon  crystallises,  and  in  that  state  is 
even  injurious  to  the  Bees,  whereas  it  can  be  kept  perfectly 
fluid  while  in  the  small  and  tightly-closed  cells. 

The  '  bee-bread,'  on  which  the  young  Bees  -are  fed,  is  made 
from  the  pollen  of  various  plants  pressed  tightly  into  the  cells. 
If  a  cell  full  of  bee-bread  be  cut  longitudinally,  each  cargo  of 
the  Bee  can  be  discerned,  some  eight  or  ten  journeys  being 
required  to  procure  a  sufficiency  of  pollen  to  fill  up  the  cell ; 
and  the  pollen  of  each  cargo  being  generally  marked  by  a 
slight  difference  of  colour. 

Some  six  or  seven  species  of  Bee  are  domesticated  in  dif- 
ferent parts  of  the  world,  and  Mr.  Westwood  suggests  that  there 
are  many  other  species  which  might  with  advantage  be  brought 
to  subserve  the  purposes  of  man.  The  structure  of  the  sting 
is  shown  on  Woodcut  XXXVIII.  Fig.  h.  This  well-known 
weapon  is  in  fact  a  modification  of  the  ovipositor,  with  the 
addition  of  a  poisonous  liquid.     This  liquid  is  secreted  by  two 


380  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

very  delicate  poison-  glands,  which  resemble  threads,  not  nearly 
so  thick  as  a  human  hair,  and  white  in  colour.  These  glands 
unite  together  at  their  bases  and  form  a  short  common  tube, 
which  opens  into  the  poison  sac,  in  which  the  venom  is  retained 
until  it  is  wanted.  The  base  of  the  sting  is  connected  with 
the  poison  sac,  and  as  soon  as  the  weapon  is  used,  the  poison 
flows  down  the  sting  and  is  injected  into  the  wound. 


LEPIDOPTEEA. 


«*.-<^ 


LEPIDOPTEEA. 

CHAPTER   I. 

RHOPALOCERA,    OR  BUTTERFLIES. 

I  VERY  much  regret  the  necessity  for  using  such  words  as  that 
which  appears  at  the  head  of  this  chapter.  I  employ  such  words 
as  seldom  as  possible,  and  always  explain  them  when  compelled 
to  use  them,  as  is  the  case  at  present.  Still,  in  many  instances, 
scientific  terms  are  absolutely  necessary,  because  there  are  no 
existing  English  words  which  have  the  same  signification,  and, 
in  many  others,  even  though  there  may  be  English  equivalents, 
the  scientific  terms  are  so  universally  employed  that  it  is  neces- 
sary to  introduce  them  and  explain  their  meaning. 

To  begin  with  the  word  Lepidoptera.  It  is  formed  from  two 
Greek  words,  the  one  signifying  a  scale,  and  the  other  a  wing, 
and  is  given  to  those  insects  because  their  wings  are,  for  the 
most  part,  covered  on  both  sides  with  flat  scales  which  overlap 
each  other  just  like  the  tiles  of  a  house.  This  is  the  most 
important  characteristic  of  the  order,  but  there  are  one  or  two 
others  which  must  be  noticed.  The  moutli  is  formed  for 
suction.  The  mandibles,  or  jaws,  which  are  so  conspicuous  in 
the  insects  which  we  have  hitherto  examined,  and  which  indeed 
are  large  and  powerful  in  the  larval  state,  are  scarcely  visible, 
being  reduced  to  mere  rudiments  of  jaws.  The  maxillae,  on  the 
contrary,  are  very  much  elongated,  and  modified  into  the 
beautiful  proboscis  through  which  the  insect  is  able  to  suck 
+he  sweet  juices  of  flowers.  The  pupa  is  enclosed  in  a  hard, 
shelly  case,  not  resembling  the  perfect  insect,  this  form  beino- 
scientifically  called  '  obtected.' 

The  Lepidoptera  fall  naturally  into  two  great  divisions  or 


384  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

sections,  known  popularly  as  Butterflies  and  Moths.  We  will 
begin  with  the  Butterflies. 

These  insects  are,  as  may  be  seen  by  reference  to  the  be- 
ginning of  the  chapter,  called  Ehopalocera.  This  term  is 
formed  from  two  Grreek  words,  the  one  signifying  a  club  and 
the  other  a  horn,  and  is  given  to  the  Butterflies  because,  as  a 
rule,  their  antennae  are  clubbed,  or  knobbed,  at  the  end.  As 
far  as  English  Lepidoptera  are  concerned,  there  is  no  difficulty 
whatever  in  distinguishing  between  them  and  the  Moths,  the 
latter  always  having  their  antennse  pointed  instead  of  clubbed 
at  the  tip.  Butterflies,  moreover,  cannot  fold  their  antennse  to 
the  body  as  is  done  by  many  of  the  Moths,  those  organs  always 
standing  out  boldly  from  the  head. 

Then,  the  head  itself  is  very  distinct  from  the  thorax,  and  is 
never  simk  into  it,  as  is  the  case  with  so  many  insects,  but  is 
attached  by  a  slender  neck.  The  compound  eyes  possessed  by 
Butterflies  are  remarkable  for  the  astonishing  number  of  facets 
which  they  possess,  some  of  them  having  sixteen  thousand 
facets  on  each  side,  or  thirty-two  thousand  in  all.  The  wings, 
too,  serve  to  distinguish  Butterflies  and  Moths.  The  latter 
insects  often  have  the  hind,  or  second,  pair  of  wings  folded 
longitudinally,  but  those  of  the  Butterflies  are  quite  rigid  and 
incapable  of  being  folded.  When  the  insect  is  at  rest  both 
pairs  of  wings  are  raised  over  the  back,  and  mostly  pressed 
closely  together.  This  attitude  is  often  employed  as  a  means 
of  avoiding  detection,  for  the  Butterfly,  when  its  wings  are  thus 
closed,  has  very  much  the  air  of  a  leaf  or  a  flower  petal,  and 
so  escapes  observation.  The  splendid  and  conspicuous  Red 
Admiral  and  Peacock  Butterflies  frequently  elude  the  eye  in 
this  manner. 

Following  the  plan  which  I  have  adopted  throughout  this 
work,  I  now  give  a  map  or  chart  of  a  Butterfly,  showing  the 
principal  portions  of  the  insect,  and  the  distinctive  names 
attached  to  them  by  entomologists.  Some  of  these  words  look 
rather  formidable,  but  there  is  really  little  difficulty  in  learn- 
ing and  retaining  them ;  and  the  best  way  of  learning  them  is, 
to  trace  them  out  on  the  wings  of  various  Butterflies,  and,  if 
possible,  to  sketch  those  wings  on  an  enlarged  scale,  and  write 
the  names  of  the  different  portions.     The  principal  portions  of 


ANATOMY  OF  A  BUTTERFLY. 


385 


the  wings  are  those  which  are  denoted  by  letters,  and  which 
should  therefore  be  learned  first ;  the  knowledge  of  the  other 


I.  Front  view  of  head.  H.  Side  view. 

ni.  Fore  tcing.         1—5.  Subcostal  nervnles.         6,  7.  Discoidal  nemiles.  8—10.  Median 

nervujes.  11.  Submedian  nervure.  12.  Internal  nervure.  13—15.  Disco-cellnlar  nervules. 
16.  Interno-niedian  nervule.  17.  Median  nervure.  18.  Subcostal  nervure.  a.  Costal  ner- 
vure. 6.  Costa  or  anterior  margin,  c.  Apex  or  anterior  angle.  d.  Posterior  or  hind  mai-gin. 
e.  Posterior  or  anal  angle.       /.  Interior  or  inner  margin.        g.  Base.        h.  Discoidal  cell. 

IV.  Niiid  King.  1,  2.  Subcostal  nervnles.  3.  Discoidal  nervule.  4—6.  Median  nervules. 
7.  Submedian  neiTure.  8.  Precostal  nervure.  9.  Subcostal  nervure.  10.  Median 
nervure.  11, 12.  Disco-cellular  nervules.  a.  Costal  nervure.  6.  Costa  or  anterior 
margin.  c.  Apex  or  anterior  angle.  </.  Hind  margin.  e.  Tail  or  caudal  apiiendage. 
/.  Anal  angle.        g.  Abdominal  or  inner  margin.        h.  Base. 

V.  Underside  of  body.  1—7.  Abdominal  segments.  8.  Caudal  or  anal  extremity. 
a.  Antennse.  b.  Tarsus.  c.  Tibia.  d.  Femur.  e.  Palpi.  /.  The  head.  g.  The 
thorax,        h.  Abdomen. 

portions  being  gained  by  degrees.  Here  I  may  mention  that 
Mr.  E.  Newman  repudiates  the  word  neyvure,  .and  substitutes 

c  c 


386  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

the  simpler  word  '  ray,'  as  analogous  with  the  fin-rays  of 
fishes.  He  is  undoubtedly  justified  in  considering  that  'ray' 
is  the  better  word,  but  as  in  all  scientific  accounts  of  the  Lepi- 
doptera  the  word  '  nervure '  is  used,  I  have  employed  it,  leaving 
the  reader  to  substitute  the  word  '  ray '  if  he  should  prefer  it. 

The  reader  will  notice  the  enormous  size  of  the  eye-masses, 
as  shown  in  Fig.  1,  this  great  size  and  bold  projection  being 
rendered  necessary  by  the  fact  that  these  insects  are  all  day- 
fliers,  perpetually  on  the  wing,  and,  consequently,  very  con- 
spicuous. Now,  there  are  many  creatures- — certain  birds,  for 
example,  dragon-flies,  and  other  predacious  foes — which  are  very 
fond  of  Butterflies,  and  would  wofully  thin  their  numbers  did 
not  their  multitudinous  eyes  enable  them  to  see  the  approach- 
ing enemy  in  time  for  their  broad  wings  to  carry  them  out  of 
danger.  The  form  of  the  proboscis  is  also  shown  in  Figs.  1 
and  2,  the  former  representing  it  as  it  appears  when  coiled  up 
so  as  to  be  out  of  harm's  way,  and  the  latter  showing  it  as 
partly  uncoiled,  as  it  appears  when  the  insect  is  about  to  take 
food. 

We  now  proceed  to  take  in  their  order  some  typical  examples 
of  British  Butterflies.  The  first  family  is  called  Papilionidse, 
and  may  be  distinguished  by  having  the  first  pair  of  legs  formed 
for  walking,  the  tip  of  the  antennae  not  hooked,  and  the  dis- 
coidal  cell  of  the  hind  wings  quite  closed.  Only  one  genus 
inhabits  this  country,  and  only  one  species,  the  beautiful 
Swallow-tail  Butterfly  {Papilio  Machaon),  which  is  Siown  in 
the  frontispiece. 

In  the  genus  to  which  this  Butterfly  belongs,  the  hind  wings 
are  tailed,  and  the  caterpillar,  or  larva,  is  furnished  with  a 
forked  appendage  called  the  '  nuchal  horn '  because  it  issues 
from  the  neck.  In  this  species  the  horn  is  only  used  in 
moments  of  irritation,  and  is  concealed  within  the  body,  its 
place  being  only  marked  by  two  dots.  If,  however,  the  cater- 
pillar be  irritated  or  hurt,  it  immediately  throws  out  the  horn, 
which  can  be  produced  to  the  length  of  half  an  inch  or  so. 
Many  naturalists  suppose  that  this  liorn  is  intended  for  the 
purpctee  of  driving  away  the  ichneumon  flies  when  they  attack 
tr.e  larva.  I  can,  however,  scarcely  accept  this  theory,  oeoause 
the  ichneumon  flies  are  terribly  injurious  to  many  other  ^ater- 


A  DAY  WITH  THE  SWALLOW-TAIL.  387 

pillars,  whicli  yet  are  supplied  with  no  apparatus  for  driving 
them  away.  This  organ,  whatever  purpose  it  may  subserve, 
gives  forth  a  very  strong  odour,  much  resembling  that  of 
fennel,  and  so  powerful  that  even  in  the  open  air  it  can  be 
perceived,  at  some  distance. 

The  colour  of  this  splendid  Butterfly  is  almost  entirely 
yellow  and  black.  On  the  lower  wings,  however,  there  is  a  row 
of  six  cloudy  blue  spots,  sprinkled  with  yellow  dots,  and  at  the 
anal  angle  of  each  lower  wing  is  a  large  red  spot  with  a  slight 
blue  crescent  on  the  upper  part.  This  Butterfly  was  once  spread 
over  a  considerable  part  of  England,  but  now  seems  to  be 
restricted  to  the  marshy  parts  of  Cambridge,  Huntingdon,  and 
Norfolk.  It  has  been  taken  in  many  other  places,  but  I  believe 
that  in  all  those  instances  it  was  not  native  to  the  place,  but 
had  been  artificially  introduced.  I  once  saw  a  specimen  in  a  field 
by  the  Cherwell,  close  to  Oxford,  and  chased  it  for  some  time, 
but  unsuccessfully.  Whether  or  not  this  was  an  introduced 
specimen,  I  have  no  means  of  ascertaining. 

I  was  never  fortunate  enough  to  have  a  day's  Machaon- 
hunting,  but  my  friend,  Mr.  D.  J.  PVench,  has  sent  me  an 
account  of  a  very  successful  day's  hunt : — 

'Saturday,  July  10,  1871,  will  always  be  a  red-letter  day  in 
my  annals  of  natural  history. 

'  My  brother  and  I  drove  off,  amid  the  rain-like  mist,  along 
one  of  those  everlastingly  flat  Cambridge  roads,  till  we  sighted 
the  whitewashed  front  of  the  old  public,  with  the  conspicuous 
sign  of  "  Five  miles  from  anywhere."  In  a  few  minutes  more 
we  were  over  the  ferry,  and  stepping  off  to  the  fens  with  some- 
what hopeful  feelings,  for  the  sun  was  peeping  out.  The  ditch 
was  soon  cleared  by  the  help  of  the  jumping-pole,  kept  at  the 
aforesaid  inn  for  the  use  of  entomologists.  My  brother  was 
over  first,  and  before  I  could  follow  a  hearty  shout  informed  me 
that  a  Swallow-tail  was  captured.  In  less  than  three  minutes, 
at  1.5  P.M.,  three  hurrahs  rang  through  the  fens,  as  I  beheld, 
for  the  first  time  in  my  life,  a  self-captured  Papilio  Machaon 
within  my  net.     Oh,  'twas  a  pleasant  sight  to  see  ! 

'  The  next  two  hours  were  exciting  ones  indeed,  for  no  sooner 
had  I  pinned  an  insect  than  another  was  seen.  Although 
ready  to  drop  through  the  heavy  chase  just  completed,  off  we 
dashed,    disturbing    from   their   nests   and    passing   unheeded 

cc  2 


388  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

whinchats,  stonechats,  whitethroats,  and  other  sedge  and  grass- 
loving  birds.  A  swift  foot  soon  brought  the  aerial  object  near; 
then  came  the  sudden  switch  and  the  simultaneous  drop — a  sign 
that  all  was  right.  The  fall  into  a  sitting  posture  was  the 
natural,  necessitous,  and  happily  convenient  move,  for  directly 
the  capture  was  made  our  legs  lost  all  power,  and  suggested  a 
seat  on  the  fen  as  the  right  position  for  pinning  the  prize; 
and  so  it  was. 

'  Experience  taught  me  these  lessons  in  the  capture  of  the 
Swallow-tail. .  When  in  the  neighbourhood  of  flowers,  take  it 
gently ;  move  slowly  up  to  the  insect,  and  when  within  a 
couple  of  yards  secure  it  with  a  dash.  This  is  all  easy  enough ; 
but  when  forced  into  a  smart  chase  over  the  fen,  the  following 
manoeuvre  proved  successful.  I  found  that  the  pursued  insect, 
after  a  long  flight,  generally  branched  off  at  a  right  angle  ;  so 
that  if  I  kept  a  respectful  distance  behind,  and  when  it  altered 
its  course  turned  at  an  acute  angle  in  the  same  direction,  I  was 
fortunate  enough  to  meet  the  object  of  my  chase,  so  that  the 
Butterfly  and  I  formed  a  right-angled  triangle.  Intelligisne  ? 
I  think  the  description  clear,  though  it  may  perhaps  smell  a 
little  of  the  mathematical  odour  of  the  'Varsity.  We  caught  in 
the  two  hours  thirty-five  specimens,  one  of  which  I  send  here- 
with. Several,  however,  were  much  worn ;  no  doubt  through 
creeping  about  in  the  herbage  during  the  preceding  unfavour- 
able weather  for  flight.  My  brother  obtained  eleven  larvae 
from  the  same  spot  last  year.  All  the  pupae  have  not  yet  dis- 
gorged their  contents.  An  imago  gladdens  my  eyes  every  now 
and  then.  Several  of  the  specimens  have  slightly  different 
markings.  One,  however,  has  the  hind  margins  of  the  under 
wings  lightly  coloured  with  the  same  chestnut-red  hue  which 
composes  the  prevailing  tint  in  the  large  spot  close  to  the  anal 
angle  of  each  wing ;  a  unique  variety,  I  believe.' 

The  egg  of  this  insect  is  light  green  in  colour  and  oval  in 
shape.  It  may  seem  rather  superfluous  to  say  that  an  egg  is 
oval  in  shape,  but  we  shall  presently  see  that  many  eggs  of 
Butterflies  are  anything  but  oval  in  shape.  Just  before  the 
egg  is  hatched,  its  colour  darkens  until  it  is  nearly  black,  which 
in  fact  is  the  colour  of  the  young  caterpillar.  As  soon  as  the 
larva  is  hatched,  it  eats  the  shell  of  the  egg  in  which  it  has 
been  developed,  and  after  every  change  of  skin  it  eats  in  like 


THE  WHITE  BUTTERFLIES.  389 

manner  the  garment  which  it  has  thrown  ofif.  The  colour  of 
this  caterpillar  is  a  beautiful  leafy  green,  the  interstices  between 
the  segments  being  velvet-black.  Upon  each  of  the  twelve 
segments  of  the  body  there  is  a  black  bar,  which  in  all  the  seg- 
ments except  the  second  is  adorned  with  six  orange  spots. 
There  are  other  markings,  but  these  are  the  most  charac- 
teristic. 

This  beautiful  larva  feeds  on  several  plants,  such  as  the 
hog's-wort,  or  cow-parsnip  {Heracleum  sphondylium),  the 
marsh-parsley  {Peucedanurri  palustre),  and  even  on  the  leaves 
of  the  common  carrot,  when  nothing  better  can  be  obtained. 
Larvae  of  this  splendid  Butterfly  have  been  successfully  reared 
upon  carrot  leaves. 

When  the  caterpillar  is  full-fed,  it  quits  its  food-plant, 
crawls  up  the  stem  of  a  weed,  and  there  assumes  the  pupal 
form,  binding  itself  to  the  weed  by  a  sort  of  belt,  like  that  of 
the  chrysalis  shown  in  Woodcut  XL.  Fig.  b.  This  belt  may 
be  almost  called  a  cable,  for  it  is  very  stout  and  strong,  as  well 
as  elastic,  and  will  sustain  a  considerable  tension  before  it  is 
snapped.  There  are  many  British  Butterflies  whose  pupae  are 
thus  girt  to  the  object  on  which  they  undergo  their  trans- 
formation. Mr.  Newman  gathers  these  together  in  a  group, 
which  he  terms  Succincti,  or  Grirted  Chrysalids.  All  these 
pupae  have  the  head  directed  upwards. 

The  next  family,  the  Pieridae,  is  distinguished  by  the  fact 
that  the  hind  wings  form  a  sort  of  receptacle  in  which  the 
abdomen  lies.  The  larvae  do  not  possess  the  nuchal  horn,  and 
are  wider  in  the  middle  and  narrower  at  the  two  ends.  The 
insects  which  compose  this  family  are  the  most  familiar  of  our 
English  Butterflies,  and  are  popularly  known  as  White  Butter- 
flies. There  are,  however,  several  White  Butterflies  that  do  not 
belong  to  this  group,  and  several  that  belong  to  it  which  can 
scarcely  be  called  white.  However,  the  popular  name  is 
expressive,  though  not  wholly  accurate. 

Common  as  they  are,  they  have  raised  great  controversy 
among  entomologists,  and  have  been  shifted  backwards  and  for- 
wards into  the  various  genera,  until  it  is  scarcely  possible  to 
reconcile  the  conflicting  statements.  '  Who  shall  decide  when 
doctors  disagree  ? '     So  we  will  not  attempt  to  decide  upon 


390 


INSECTS   AT   HOME. 


such  a  subject,  but  accept  Doubleday's  system.  In  accordance 
with  this  principle  we  proceed  to  the  best  known  of  all  our 
Butterflies,  the  Laege  Cabbage  Butterfly  {Pieris  brassicce), 
which  is  drawn  in  Woodcut  XL.  Fig.  3.  As  to  the  colours  of 
this  insect,  they  are  simply  black  and  white,  so  that  the  illus- 
tration gives  us  a  very  good  idea  of  the  colour  as  well  as  of  the 


1.  Roneptei-j-x  rhamni.  2.  Colia=  ednsa,  male. 

6.  Do.,  pupa.  c.  Do.,  egg.  e.  Do.,  ])alpus. 

d.  Larva  of  Colias. 


3.  Pieris  brassicce.         a.  PierLs,  larva. 
/.  Do.,  head.  g.  Do.,  claw  of  foot. 


form  of  the  insect.  •  The  specimen  represented  is  a  male ;  the 
female  being  similarly  coloured,  but  without  the  two  large 
black  spots  on  the  fore  wings.  In  its  larval  condition  this  is  a 
most  destructive  creature,  and  does  great  damage  to  the  plant 
from  which  it  takes  its  name.  It  is,  in  fact,  so  destructive  that 
those  who  keep  kitchen  gardens,  or  are  interested  in  agricul- 
ture, should  ruthlessly  kill  every  Cabbage  Butterfly  that  comes 
across  them.     There  is  no  cruelty  in  doing  so,  for  no  one  has 


THE  BLACK- VEINED  AND  SMALL  WHITES.  391 

any  scruple  in  killing  the  caterpillar,  and  it  is  surely  better  to 
kill  one  Butterfly  than  fifty  or  sixty  caterpillars  which  it 
produces. 

At  Fig.  c  is  shown  the  egg  of  this  insect.  The  reader  may 
remember  that,  when  treating  of  the  Swallow-tail  Butterfly,  I 
stated  that  all  insect  eggs  were  not  oval.  This  egg  is  an 
example  of  a  considerable  departure  from  the  oval  shape. 
These  eggs  are  deposited  in  small  clusters,  varying  from  two  or 
three  to  twelve,  and  they  all  stand  upright  on  their  bases,  just 
like  a  number  of  little  bottles,  being  fixed  to  the  leaf  by  a 
gummy  secretion.  The  caterpillars  are  hatched  in  about  a 
fortnight,  and  grow  very  rapidly.  One  of  them  is  shown  at  fig. 
a.  When  full-fed  they  ascend  some  convenient  object,  and 
change  into  the  pupa,  which  is  fixed  by  its  tail,  and  prevented 
from  falling  by  a  stout  silken  belt  passed  loosely  round  its 
body.  This  pupa  is  seen  at  Fig.  b.  Its  colour  is  grey-white, 
with  a  slight  dash  of  blue,  diversified  by  a  number  of  little 
black  spots.  The  point  of  the  head  is  yellow,  and  so  is  a  line 
along  the  ridge  of  the  back. 

There  are  two  broods  of  this  destructive  insect,  the  first  in 
May  and  the  second  in  August,  so  that,  if  its  numbers  were  not 
kept  down  byxthe  ichneumon  flies,  we  should  scarcely  have  a 
cabbage  in  England.  I  have  dissected  the  larvse  of  all  our 
common  Lepidoptera,  and  never  found  any  to  be  so  afflicted 
with  the  ichneumon  as  that  of  the  Cabbage  Butterfly.  Indeed, 
the  difficulty  was  to  find  one  that  was  not  being  slowly 
consumed  by  the  tiny  but  fatal  larvse  of  the  Microgaster, 
which  has  been  described  on  page  325. 

Other  details  of  this  insect  are  given  on  Woodcut  XL.  Fig.  e 
representing  the  palpus,  /  the  head,  and  g  the  claw  of  the  foot. 

There  are  several  other  Butterflies  which  go  by  the  popular 
name  of  Whites.  There  is,  for  example,  the  Black-veined 
White  {Pieris  cratcegi),  which  is  without  spots,  but  the 
nervures  are  black.  This  is,  in  consequence,  an  admirable 
insect  for  the  study  of  the  wings.  It  is  a  local  and  somewhat 
intermittent  insect,  and  appears  about  Midsummer. 

Then  there  is  the  Small  White  {Pieris  rapce),  a  very 
variable  Butterfly,  in  which  the  male  is  nearly  white,  except  a 
clouding  at  the  tips  of  the  upper  wings,  and  a  rather  indistinct 


392  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

dark  spot  on  the  costal  edge  of  the  lower  wings.  The  females 
are  at  once  distinguished  by  having  two  black  spots  on  the  disc 
of  the  upper  wings.  The  caterpillar  is  a  pretty  green  larva, 
and  is  a  very  indiscriminate  feeder.  I  have  bred  a  long  series 
of  them  from  mignonette  growing  in  a  window-box.  The 
Butterfly  appears  in  the  midst  of  summer. 

The  G-REEN-VEiNED  White  {Pieris  Najpi)  may  be  known  by 
the  peculiarity  from  which  it  takes  its  name.  When  inspected 
from  below,  the  under  surface  of  the  lower  wings  is  seen  to  be 
dull  yellow,  the  nervures  being  edged  with  a  greyish  tint,  which 
has  the  effect  of  green  when  contrasted  with  the  yellow.  The 
upper  wings  have  much  the  same  colouring,  but  not  so  strongly 
marked,  except  at  the  tips.  It  is  a  variable  insect,  and  the 
varieties  have  been  considered  by  some  authors  as  being  three 
distinct  species,  one  of  which  they  call  by  the  specific  name 
of  Napi,  another  by  that  of  Napece,  and  a  third  was  called 
Sabellicce.  Indeed,  I  find,  on  referring  to  my  old  cabinet, 
which  I  arranged  according  to  Stephens's  system,  these  varieties 
under  their  different  names.  This  caterpillar  feeds  on  the 
watercress  and  one  or  two  other  plants. 

Lastly,  there  is  the  Gtkeen  Chequered  White  [Pieris  Da- 
plidice),  which  derives  its  name  from  the  beautiful  gTeen 
mottlings  of  the  under  surface  of  the  lower  wings.  It  is  a  very 
local  insect,  and  is  generally  taken  on  the  coast  of  Kent. 
Mr.  E.  Newman  has  a  theory  that,  although  a  few  specimens 
may  be  had  in  England,  it  is  properly  a  French  insect,  and  is 
blown  across  the  Channel.  This  theory  is  strengthened  by  the 
fact  that  Butterflies  have  been  seen  to  cross  the  Channel, 
settling  on  the  water  when  tired,  and  taking  to  wing  with- 
out difficulty.  August  is  the  best  month  for  finding  this 
insect. 

There  is  also  the  little  Wood  White  (Leucophasia  sinapis), 
a  small,  rather  narrow-winged,  slow-flying  insect,  with  white 
wings  clouded  with  black  at  the  ends  of  the  upper  pair 
Grenerally  this  spot,  or  cloud,  is  more  or  less  squared.  . 

Closely  allied  to  the  Whites  is  the  beautiful  Orange-tip 
{Anthocharis  cardammes),  so  well  known  by  the  orange-tipped 
wings  of  the  male,  from  which  it  derives  its  popular  name. 
The  female  is  without  the  orange  hue,  but  both  sexes  have  the 


THE  BEIMSTONE  BUTTERFLY.  393 

under  side  of  the  lower  wings  beautifully  mottled  with  green. 
The  insect  is  as  plentiful  as  it  is  beautiful,  and  may  be 
captured  in  almost  every  meadow  or  lane  in  the  early  summer. 
It  does  not  fly  very  fast,  and  generally  keeps  rather  low,  so 
that  there  is  no  diflficulty  in  taking  it.  The  caterpillar  feeds 
on  various  cruciform  plants,  and  its  colour  is  opaque  green. 

On  Woodcut  XL.  Fig.  1  may  be  seen  a  drawing  of  a  very 
well-known  insect,  the  Brimstone  Butterfly  {Gonepteryx 
o'hamni),  the  popular  name  being  derived  from  the  beautiful 
deep  yellow  of  the  male.  The  female  is  very  much  paler,  as  if 
the  colour  had  been  washed  out  of  her,  and  in  both  sexes  there 
is  a  little  orange-red  spot  on  each  wing,  the  position  and  shape 
of  which  are  indicated  in  the  illustration.  In  this  genus  the 
wings  are  boldly  angled  at  their  tips,  from  which  circumstance 
the  name  of  Gonepteiyx,  or  '  angle-winged,'  has  been  given  to 
it.  The  antennae  have  a  peculiar  curve  downwards,  which  can 
be  seen  by  viewing  the  insect  sideways. 

This  is  one  of  our  earliest  Butterflies,  sometimes  making  its 
appearance  even  in  winter,  should  the  sun  happen  to  shine 
brightly.  I  see,  by  reference  to  my  notes,  that  I  took  it  at 
Oxford  in  February.  These  early  specimens  are,  in  fact,  the 
Butterflies  which  are  developed  in  the  autumn  of  the  preceding 
year,  and  which  had  retired  to  some  secluded  spot  wherein  to 
hibernate.  The  warmth  and  light  of  a  bright,  sunshiny  day 
awake  them  from  their  torpor,  and  tempt  them  into  the  open  air. 

I  believe  that  such  early  Butterflies  only  live  a  few  hours, 
because  the  exertion  of  flight  causes  them  to  need  food,  and  no 
food  is  to  be  found  at  that  time  of  year.  It  is  a  remarkable 
fact,  noticed  by  Mr.  Newman,  that,  although  both  sexes  of  the 
Brimstone  Butterfly  are  developed  in  the  autumn,  they  take 
no  notice  of  each  other  unless  they  happen  to  survive  to  the 
following  spring.  The  larva  of  this  Butterfly  feeds  on  the 
buckthorn  (Rhamnus),  from  which  it  derives  its  specific  name 
of  Rhamni.  The  colour  of  the  larva  is  green,  but  the  surface 
of  the  body  is  thickly  covered  with  tiny  black  projections  or 
warts,  each  tipped  with  a  slender  white  point. 

On  Woodcut  XL.  Fig.  2,  is  represented  one  of  the  prettiest 
of  our  Butterflies,  the  Clouded  Yellow  {Golias  edusa). 


394  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

All  those  who  have  studied  the  Lepidoptera  must  have  "been 
struck  with  the  marvellous  variety  and  contrast  of  colour  that 
can  be  produced  by  one  or  two  hues.  This  insect  is  nothing- 
more  than  black  and  orange,  and  yet  is  a  singularly  handsome 
one.  The  upper  wings  are  warm  orange,  edged  with  a  deep 
border  of  black,  in  which  are  a  few  pale  orange  spots  in  the 
female,  the  black  band  of  the  male  being  unspotted.  There 
is  also  a  bold  black  spot  near  the  upper  edge.  The  lower 
wings  are  coloured  in  much  the  same  way,  except  that  the 
orange  is  pale,  and  approaching  to  yellow.  There  is,  however, 
a  warm  orange  spot  on  the  disc.  Both  pairs  of  wings  are 
edged  with  a  very  warm  border  of  orange,  brighter  and  warmer 
in  the  upper  than  in  the  lower  pair.  Beneath,  the  colour  is 
yellow,  warming  into  orange  on  the  disc  of  the  upper  wings, 
and  the  spot  on  the  lower  wings  is  brown,  with  a  white  centre. 

This  handsome  Butterfly  is  widely  spread,  and  occasionally 
occurs  in  considerable  numbers,  especially  in  and  near  our 
Southern  coasts.  I  have  a  number  that  were  taken  by  my 
brother  at  Sheerness,  and  others  taken  by  myself  in  Oxford- 
shire and  Wiltshire.  It  is  found  in  best  condition  at  the  end 
of  summer,  and  through  the  autumn  ;  but,  as  it  is  a  hibernator, 
individuals  are  seen  in  the  early  spring,  somewhat  shabby 
and  worn  in  appearance,  and  lacking  the  brilliancy  which 
distinguishes  the  newly-developed  insect. 

The  larva  is  grass-green  in  colour,  and  is  covered  with  a 
great  number  of  tiny  bristle-bearing  warts.  It  feeds  on  the 
clover,  and  consequently  clover  fields  are  much  haunted  by  the 
perfect  insect.  The  eggs  are  long  and  narrow,  and  have  been 
compared  to  ninepins  in  shape.  They  are  affixed  to  the  leaf 
by  one  of  the  ends,  so  that  they  stand  upright.  The  larvae  are 
hatched  about  Midsummer.  One  of  them  is  shown  on  Wood- 
cut XL.  Fig.  d.  The  chrysalis,  or  pupa,  is  attached  by  its 
tail  and  a  belt,  like  that  of  the  Cabbage  Butterfly,  and  does 
not  seem  to  be  very  particular  as  to  its  position,  generally 
being  upright,  but  sometimes  horizontal. 

We  now  come  to  the  beautiful  family  of  the  Vanessidse, 
which  includes  some  of  our  handsomest  and  best-known 
Butterflies.  Among  other  distinctions,  in  all  these  insects,  the 
first  pair  of  legs  are  very  small,  and  not  used  in  walking. 


THE  FRITILLAEIES. 


395 


Our  first  example  is  the  Dark  Gtreen  Fritillary  (Argynnis 
aglaia),  a  figure  of  which  is  given  on  Woodcut  XLI.  Fig.  3. 
The  Butterflies  belonging  to  this  genus  are  popularly  known  as 
Fritillaries,  and  all  of  them  have  the  under  surface  of  the  lower 
wings  adorned  with  metallic  spots  and  markings  which  look  as  if 
made  of  burnished  silver.     The  generic  name  Argynnis,  which 


XLI. 


1.  Vanessa  Antiopa.  2.  Grapta  C.  album.  3.  Argynnis  Aglaia. 

a.  Argynnis,  larva.  b.  Argynnis,  pupa. 


is  taken  from  the  Grreek,  signifies  '  brilliant '  or  '  shining,'  and  is 
given  to  the  insects  in  consequence  of  this  peculiarity.  The 
colour  of  the  present  species  is  bright  warm  brown  in  the  male, 
marked  with  a  dark  bronze-green  in  the  female.  The  wings 
are  profusely  spotted  with  black  on  the  upper  surface,  and  on 
the  under  surface  of  the  lower  wings  are  a  number  of  round 
bright  silver  spots,  and  near  the  margin  of  the  wing  is  a  row 
of  seven  semicircular  silver  spots. 


396  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

This  insect  is  generally  spread  over  England,  and  is  plentiful 
in  many  parts  of  Kent,  especially  on  the  downs  which  lead 
towards  the  sea.  Mr.  Newman  remarks  that  hilly,  fern- 
covered  ground  is  the  best  locality  for  this  Butterfly.  The 
larva,  which  is  shown  at  Fig.  a,  feeds  on  the  dog  violet 
(  Viola  canina).  Its  colour  is  very  dark  shining  grey,  mottled 
with  black.  When  full-fed,  which  takes  place  about  the 
middle  of  July,  it  selects  a  suitable  spot,  and  th^re  changes 
into  a  pupa,  suspending  itself  by  its  tail,  which  is  very  strongly 
curved.  One  of  these  pupao  is  shown  at  Fig.  b.  It  remains  in 
the  pupal  state  about  eighteen  days,  and  then  emerges  in  its 
perfect  form. 

There  are  five  other  species  of  the  Fritillary,  all  of  which  are 
very  similar  in  their  colouring.  As  they  are  liable  to  varia- 
tion, the  beginner  finds  great  difficulty  in  identifying  them. 
This,  however,  can  generally  be  done  by  means  of  the  silver 
markings  on  the  lower  wings,  which  in  some  species  form  bold, 
clearly  defined  spots,  like  solid  silver  leaf,  and  in  others 
take  the  shape  of  marks  or  streaks,  just  as  if  a  brush  had  been 
dipped  in  silver  powder  and  drawn  over  the  wing.  The  larvae 
of  all  the  species  are  spiny,  and  feed  upon  the  violets  and  their 
kin. 

Next  we  take  the  typical  genus  Vanessa,  of  which  we  must 
examine  several  examples,  as  they  are  among  the  most  con- 
spicuous of  our  insects.  In  this  genus  the  club  of  the  antennae 
is  short  and  bold,  the  first  pair  of  wings  are  more  or  less 
regulated,  and  the  eyes  are  extremely  hairy.  If  examined 
with  the  microscope,  it  will  be  seen  that  the  hairs  are  planted 
at  the  angles  of  the  hexagonal  facets. 

The  handsomest  and  rarest  of  these  Butterflies  is  drawn  on 
Woodcut  XLI.  Fig.  1.  Its  scientific  name  is  Vanessa  Antiapa, 
and  it  is  popularly  called  the  White-bordered,  on  account  of 
the  broad  white  edging  of  the  wings,  or  the  Cambbrwell 
Beauty,  because  in  1748  three  specimens  were  taken  near 
Camberwell. 

My  brother  saw  one  on  the  banks  of  a  railway  cutting  in 
Wales,  as  he  was  going  to  church  with  his  wife.  Eare  insects 
are  always  perverse.  You  may  go  to  the  most  famous  localities 
for  them,  furnished  with  every  appliance,  search  and  watch  day 


THE  CAMBEEWELL  BEAUTY.  397 

after  day,  and  never  even  see  a  specimen.  Then,  just  where 
they  are  least  expected,  and  when  no  means  are  at  hand  for 
capturing  them,  they  make  their  appearance — and  generally 
their  escape — in  a  manner  that  is  calculated  to  test  the  temper 
severely. 

In  the  present  instance,  the  sudden  appearance  of  such  an 
insect  at  his  very  feet  was  too  much  for  the  discoverer,  and, 
hat  in  hand,  he  dashed  down  the  cutting  after  the  Butterfly. 
Of  course,  having  taken  him  to  the  bottom,  it  ascended  to  the 
top,  and  so  on,  giving  him  a  chase  of  a  quarter  of  an  hour 
perpetually  up  and  down  the  cutting,  and  at  last  getting  away 
over  a  hedge,  leaving  its  pm^suer  breathless  on  the  ground,  and 
his  hat  and  clothes  generally  in  a  more  than  dishevelled  state. 
In  his  letter  to  me  relating  the  circumstance,  he  says  that  if 
anyone  wants  to  take  a  Turkish  bath,  and  is  not  within  reach 
of  one,  he  recommends  a  chase  of  the  Camberwell  Beauty  in  a 
deep  railway  cutting  with  very  steep  sides. 

The  colour  of  this  magnificent  insect  is  rich  brown,  shot  with 
deep  purple.  The  wings  are  edged  with  a  broad  grey-white 
band,  just  inside  which  is  a  row  of  blue  spots.  This  is  a  very 
plentiful  insect  in  America  and  on  the  Continent,  and  speci- 
mens are  often  taken  from  France  and  passed  off  as  English. 
They  can,  however,  be  detected  by  the  colour  of  the  white 
band,  which  in  genuine  English  specimens  is  grey-white,  and 
in  foreign  specimens  yellow-white. 

It  is  a  very  capricious  insect  in  its  appearance  in  this 
country.  Owing  to  the  great  and  rapidly  increasing  number  of 
entomologists  in  this  country,  and  the  many  periodicals  which 
are  devoted  to  Natural  History,  scarcely  a  specimen  of  this 
conspicuous  Butterfly  can  be  at  large  without  being  seen  and 
recorded.  It  seldom  happens  that  a  single  specimen  is  thus 
mentioned ;  but,  if  one  entomologist  happens  to  be  fortunate 
enough  to  capture  an  Antiopa  on  Monday,  several  others  are 
nearly  sure  to  be  caught  vdthin  the  week,  and  then  no  more 
seem  to  make  their  appearance.  I  never  had  the  good  fortune 
to  see  one  of  these  Butterflies  at  liberty,  and  very  much  suspect 
that  I  never  shall. 

On  Woodcut  XLI.  Fig.  2,  is  seen  a  profile  portrait  of  the 
Comma    Butterfly,   scientifically  termed   G.   album,   or   the 


398  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

White  C.  These  names  are  given  to  the  insect  becaiise  on  the 
under  surface  of  the  loWer  wings  there  is  a  curved  mark,  very- 
much  like  the  letter  C  in  shape,  and  of  the  purest  white. 
There  is  not  the  least  difficulty  in  identifying  this  insect,  even 
without  taking  the  trouble  to  inspect  the  under  surface,  for 
both  pairs  of  wings  are  so  deeply  scalloped  that  there  is  no 
possibility  of  mistake.  The  upper  surface  of  the  wings  is  warm 
red-brown,  mottled  with  black,  both  the  ground  hue  and  the 
markings  being  subject  to  considerable  variation. 

This  is  considered  to  be  an  inland  species.  In  those  places 
which  it  frequents  it  is  common  enough.  I  have  taken  many 
specimens  in  Bagley  Wood,  near  Oxford,  in  the  days  when  that 
beautiful  little  wood  was  one  of  the  finest  insect  preserves  in 
England. 

The  larva  is  known  to  feed  on  the  elm,  the  hop,  and  the 
cm-rant,  and  in  the  midland  counties  is  said  to  be  common  in 
the  hop-growing  districts.  It  is  a  thick  spine-bearing  larva, 
grey  in  colour,  mottled  with  chestnut,  and  having  a  white 
stripe  along  part  of  its  back.  The  perfect  insect  appears  in 
the  beginning  of  autumn. 

Next  we  come  to  the  Gtreat  Tortoiseshell  (  Vanessa  poly- 
chloros),  which  is  drawn  on  Plate  XIII.  Fig.  1. 

This  handsome  insect  is  well  named,  as  its  rich  mottlings  of 
black  and  warm  chestnut-brown  bear  no  small  resemblance  to 
the  colours  of  the  tortoiseshell.  In  some  parts  of  England 
this  species  is  tolerably  common,  while  in  others  it  is  never 
found.  The  first  specimen  that  I  ever  took  I  saw  in  the 
window  of  a  grocer's  shop  at  Oxford,  one  of  the  very  last  places 
where  one  might  have  expected  such  a  Butterfly  to  be  found. 
It  was  quite  plentiful  in  Bagley  Wood,  ^here  any  number 
could  have  been  taken,  and  had  evidently  been  blown  into  the 
streets  and  then  attracted  by  the  sugar  in  the  window. 

It  is  common  in  Kent.  Lieut.-Col.  C.  J.  Cox,  who  has  given 
great  attention  to  this  insect,  told  me  an  anecdote  of  the  mode 
in  which  it  deposits  its  eggs.  He  watched  a  female  deposit  an 
egg  or  two  on  a  leaf,  and,  wishing  to  rear  the  insect  from  the 
egg,  he  cut  off  the  branch  and  removed  it.  The  Butterfly, 
however,  continued  to  fly  up  and  down  near  the  spot,  and 
refused  to  leave  it,  evidently  searching  for  the  leaf  on  which 


PLATE    XIII. 
BUTTERFLIES. 


1.  Vanessa  polychloros. 

2.  Vanessa  Atalanta. 

3.  Vanessa  cardui. 

Plants  : — 

Meadow  Crane's  Bill  (Geranium  pratense).    Above,  on  Right. 
Buttercup  (Manunculus  hulbosus).    In  Middle. 


THE  TORTOISESHELL  AND  ATALANTA.  399 

she  had  deposited  her  eggs.  The  branch  was  then  restored  to  its 
place  in  the  tree,  as  nearly  as  could  be  done.  The  Butterfly  at 
once  saw  and  recognised  it,  proceeded  to  the  same  leaf,  and 
deposited  more  eggs  upon  it. 

The  Small  Toutoiseshell,  or  Common  Tortoiseshell  (Vor- 
nessa  urticce),  is  coloured  much  like  the  preceding  insect,  but 
the  hues  are  rather  brighter,  and  the  whole  pattern  of  the 
wings  defined  more  clearly,  and  looking  more  compressed.  It 
is  too  familiar  to  need  any  detailed  description.  The  cater- 
pillar feeds  on  the  common  stinging-nettle,  and  may  be  found  in 
great  numbers  upon  it,  sometimes  being  so  numerous  as  to 
blacken  it  with  the  caterpillars  clustering  upon  the  leaves, 
which  are  drawn  together  with  the  silken  threads  spun  by  the 
larvce.  The  pupa  is  suspended  by  the  tail,  and  is  very  angular. 
Its  colour  is  brown,  mottled  and  spotted  with  black,  and 
having  several  patches  of  a  brilliant  gold,  as  if  burnished  gold 
leaf  had  been  laid  upon  it.  This  beautiful  colouring  has  given 
to  the  pupa  the  name  of  Chrysalis,  this  being  a  Grreek  word, 
signifying  anything  that  is  gilded.  The  golden  hue  is  un- 
fortunately very  transient,  and  vanishes  as  soon  as  the  Butterfly 
has  emerged  from  the  pupal  envelope. 

.  The  splendid,  and  fortunately  common,  insect,  the  Eed 
Admiral  [Vaiussa  atalanta),  a  figure  of  which  is  given  on 
Plate  XIII.  Fig.  2,  comes  next  in  order.  This  Butterfly  can  be 
at  once  recognised  by  the  broad  scarlet  band  near  the  upper 
wings  and  along  the  edge  of  the  lower  wings,  a  bold  and  con- 
spicuous style  of  colouring  possessed  by  no  other  British  insect. 
The  ground-colour  of  the  wings  is  velvet-black,  diversified  with 
some  large  white  spots  on  the  tips  of  the  upper  pair  of  wings, 
and  an  oval  blue  spot  on  the  anal  angle  of  the  lower  pair.  It  is 
easy  enough  to  describe  the  markings  of  the  upper  surface,  but 
those  of  the  lower  surface  are  almost  beyond  description. 
Suffice  it  to  say  that  the  colour  of  the  first  pair  is  much  like 
that  of  the  upper  sirrface,  only  paler  ;  while  the  under  surface 
of  the  lower  wings  exhibits  a  most  complicated  mottling  of 
brown,  grey,  blue,  green,  ochre,  and  black,  arranged  in  a 
marvellously  artistic  manner,  and  forming  a  series  of  definite, 
but  complicated  patterns. 

If  this  beautiful  Butterfly  were  only  rare,  it  would  be  the 


400  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

admiration  of  all  collectors.  As  it  is  plentiful,  it  is  only 
admired  by  those  who  value  Nature  for  her  own  sake,  and 
not  for  the  sake  of  mere  rarity.  Being  one  of  the  latter  kind,  I 
have  a  most  enthusiastic  admiration  for  the  Eed  Admiral,  and 
am  never  tired  of  examining  it  in  the  cabinet,  or  watching  it 
as  it  flits  at  liberty  in  the  open  air,  with  the  graceful  flight 
that  has  earned  for  the  insect  the  name  of  Atalanta. 

The  larva  of  this  Butterfly  is  a  nettle-feeder,  and  is  quite 
common.  It  is  not,  however,  so  often  seen  as  that  of  the 
Tortoiseshell  Butterfly,  as  it  always  feeds  in  concealment, 
making  a  shelter  by  drawing  together  with  silk  the  leaves  of 
the  plant  on  which  it  feeds. 

Even  when  it  has  ceased  eating,  and  is  about  to  pass  into  the 
pupal  state,  it  has  the  instinct  of  concealment  strong  upon  it, 
and  ensures  a  convenient  retreat  by  nibbling  the  stalk  of  the 
nettle  nearly  asunder,  some  four  or  five  inches  from  the  top. 
The  severed  portion,  of  com-se,  falls  over,  and  is  spun  up  with 
silk  so  as  to  leave  a  hollow  cavity  within  which  the  caterpillar 
can  undergo  its  changes.  The  chrysalis,  which  may  be  found 
at  the  end  of  summer,  is  suspended  by  its  tail  from  the  roof 
of  this  habitation,  and  there  hangs  until  the  perfect  insect 
makes  its  escape.  This  chrysalis,  like  that  of  the  preceding 
insect,  is  adorned  with  brilliant  golden  patches  on  the  sides, 
and  its  general  colour  is  warm  grey,  mottled  with  black. 

Mr.  Newman  mentions  that  he  has  captured  the  Atalanta  at 
night,  as  it  was  feeding  on  the  sugar  which  had  been  laid 
out  for  the  purpose  of  attracting  moths.  I  am  not  aware  that 
any  other  Butterfly  has  been  known  to  depart  so  greatly  from 
the  usual  day-flying  habits  of  the  group.  As  in  the  case  with 
other  insects  of  the  same  genus,  though  the  Butterflies  are 
developed  in  the  autumn,  the  two  sexes  take  no  notice  of  each 
other  until  the  following  year,  but  occupy  themselves  with 
flitting  about  from  flower  to  flower,  and  in  sucking  their 
sweet  juices.  During  the  winter  they  hibernate,  and  at  the 
beginning  of  the  following  summer  they  seek  their  mates  and 
lay  their  eggs,  from  which  the  future  brood  is  to  proceed. 

In  consequence  of  this  habit,  those  specimens  which  appear 
at  the  beginning  of  summer  are  never  in  fine  condition  as  to 
their  plumage,  their  wings  being  battered  and  faded  during  the 
previous  year.     Those,  however,  which  make  their  appearance 


THE  PAINTED  LADY.  401 

in  August,  are  in  their  full  splendour,  and,  unless  the  collector 
prefer  rearing  them  from  the  caterpillar,  he  should  select  the 
month  of  August  as  the  time  for  the  capture  of  specimens  for 
the  cabinet. 

Although  it  can  fly  rapidly  when  it  chooses,  it  seldom 
takes  the  trouble  to  do  so,  and  appears,  indeed,  to  be  so  en- 
gaged in  searching  for  and  taking  food  that  it  may  be 
captured  without  the  least  difficulty.  Eipe  and  fallen  fruit  is 
always  a  great  attraction  for  this  Butterfly.  One  of  the  most 
magnificent  sights  I  ever  saw  was  due  to  this  predilection  for 
fruit.  An  egg-plum  tree  had  been  entirely  neglected,  and  its 
fruit  permitted  to  ripen  on  the  boughs  and  then  fall  to  the 
ground.  A  lot  of  insects  took  advantage  of  such  an  oppor- 
tunity, and  the  tree  and  its  vicinity  swarmed  with  wasps, 
ants,  and  other  lovers  of  sweets. 

But  the  most  striking  point  was  the  host  of  Atalanta 
Butterflies  which  surrounded  the  tree.  They  were  approaching 
in  every  direction  ;  the  branches  were  crowded  with  them, 
and  the  fallen  fruit  upon  the  ground  was  so  covered  with 
them  that  neither  fruit  nor  ground  could  be  seen  for  the 
Butterflies,  as  they  waved  their  black  and  scarlet  wings'  gently 
up  and  down.  So  completely  occupied  were  they  with  their 
rich  banquet  that  they  took  no  notice  of  me  as  I  stood  by 
them,  and  even  permitted  me  to  pick  them  up  with  my  fingers. 
The  sun  was  shining  brightly  on  this  wonderful  assemblage, 
and  brought  out  the  grandly  contrasted  colours  until  they 
shone  with  tropical  splendour.  I  never  saw  such  a  sight  before, 
and  am  not  likely  to  see  such  a  one  again. 

On  Plate  XIII.  Fig.  3  is  shown  the  pretty  Butterfly  called, 
on  account  of  the  variegated  colouring  of  the  under  surface, 
the  Painted  Lady.  Its  scientific  title  is  Vanessa  cardui. 
The  shape  and  position  of  the  markings  can  be  seen  by 
reference  to  the  illustration.  The  colour  of  tlie  upper  wings 
is  deep  black.  The  five  spots  near  the  tip  are  pure  white, 
and  the  pale  markings  on  the  disc  of  the  wings  are  warm 
chestnut.  There  is  a  slight  white  scalloping  along  the  edo-e  of 
the  wing.  The  lower  pair  of  wings  are  coloured  in  much  the 
same  way,  but  the  only  white  portion  is  the  scalloped  edging. 
The  bases  of  the  wings  are  thickly  covered  with  scales  of  a 

D    D 


402  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

golden  lustre.  I  would  here  take  the  opportunity  of  advising 
any  of  my  readers  who  possess  a  microscope,  to  examine  care- 
fully the  scales  of  every  lepidopterous  insect  that  they  capture, 
taking  a  few  from  both  surfaces  of  the  wings.  If  care  be  taken, 
these  lovely  objects  can  be  removed  without  damaging  the 
beauty  of  the  wings.  The  under  surface  of  the  lower  wings  is 
beautifully  mottled  with  various  shades  of  brown  and  yellow, 
and  near  the  edges  are  four  rounded  spots  in  a  row,  the  two 
exterior  spots  being  twice  as  large  as  the  others.  Each  of  the 
large  spots  is  composed  of  a  glittering  green  centre,  surrounded 
by  warm  brown.  Eound  the  brown  is  a  stripe  of  yellow,  and 
the  whole  is  surrounded  with  a  bold  black  line.  The  two 
smaller  spots  have  no  black  outline. 

In  its  larval  state,  the  Painted  Lady  feeds  on  the  thistle 
{Garduus  arvensis),  from  which  the  insect  derives  its  specific 
name  of  Cardui.  It  prefers  the  young  and  tender  leaves  of 
the  plant,  and  draws  their  edges  together,  so  as  partially  to 
enclose  itself  in  the  leaf.  When  it  changes  into  a  pupa,  it 
suspends  itself  by  the  tail,  and  there  remains  until  it  emerges 
in  its  perfect  form,  somewhere  about  August. 

In  its  habits,  the  Painted  Lady  much  resembles  the  pre- 
ceding insects,  becoming  developed  in  the  autumn  of  one  year, 
but  not  pairing  until  the  spring  of  the  next  year.  It  is  fond 
of  flitting  about  in  search  of  honey-bearing  flowers,  and 
especially  frequents  the  teazle,  on  which  flower  the  Red 
Admiral,  the  Grreat  Tortoiseshell,  and  the  Peacock  Butter- 
fly often  bear  it  company.  I  have  taken  all  those  insects 
plentifully  on  teazles  in  Bagley  Wood,  near  Oxford. 

As  in  the  case  with  other  Butterflies,  the  Painted  Lady  is 
wonderfully  intermittent  in  its  appearance,  sometimes  being 
absent  or  extremely  scarce  for  several  years,  and  then  appearing 
in  swarms  for  a  year  or  two  in  succession.  I  well  remember 
the  year  in  which  I  first  saw  this  beautiful  insect  in  any 
number.  I  had  in  my  cabinet  one  solitary,  battered  specimen, 
the  only  one  that  I  had  ever  seen  since  I  had  begun  to  collect. 
One  autumnal  day  1  went  to  Bagley  Wood,  and  near  the  road 
saw  a  Painted  Lady  fly  into  a  gravel-pit.  I  went  after  it  at 
best  speed,  jumped  into  the  pit,  and  found  it  absolutely  full  of 
Painted  Ladies.  The  Butterflies  had  taken  some  strange  fancy 
to  the  place,  and  were  flying  through  it  almost  in  streams. 


THE   PEACOCK   AND   PURPLE   EMPEROR.  403 

They  were  all  in  splendid  condition,  and  in  a  very  short  time 
I  had  captured  a  sufficient  number  to  fill  my  box. 

We  must  not  complete  our  notice  of  this  genus  without  a 
brief  mention  of  the  beautiful  Peacock  Butterflt  ( Vanessa 
16),  so  conspicuous  on  account  of  the  '  eyes '  or  circular  marks 
on  both  pairs  of  wings.  The  under  surface  of  the  insect  is 
brown-black,  mottled  in  a  most  curious  but  almost  indescrib- 
able manner.  Whether  the  sombre  colouring  be  intended  for 
defence  I  cannot  say,  but  there  is  no  doubt  that  the  insect 
often  owes  its  life  to  the  contrast  between  the  upper  and 
under  surface.  When  a  Peacock  Butterfly  is  chased,  it  has  a 
way  of  flying  round  a  tree  trunk,  and  settling  on  it,  closing 
its  wings  at  the  same  time,  and  bringing  them  together  over 
its  back.  In  this  attitude  it  looks  wonderfully  like  a  dead 
leaf,  and  the  change  from  a  large,  active,  beautifully-coloured 
butterfly,  to  a  thin,  black,  shrivelled  leaf,  is  so  great  and  so 
rapid  that  scarcely  any  eye  but  that  of  an  entomologist  would 
detect  the  insect. 

The  larva  is  one  of  the  nettle-feeders,  and  is  mostly  very 
common,  in  some  places  quite  as  plentiful  as  that  of  the  Tor- 
toiseshell,  while  in  others  it  has  to  be  searched  for  carefully 
before  it  can  be  found.  The  general  colour  of  the  caterpillar 
is  black,  and  the  body  is  covered  with  a  great  number  of  long- 
spines,  which  may,  perhaps,  defend  it  from  the  poisonous  spikes 
of  the  plant  on  which  it  feeds.  The  chrysalis  is  green  in 
colour,  brighter  when  the  change  is  first  made,  and  darker 
when  the  future  Butterfly  is  nearly  developed. 

On  Woodcut  XLII.  Fig.  3,  is  shown  one  of  our  handsomest 
Butterflies,  the  celebrated  Purple  Emperor,  or  Emperor  of 
Morocco  {Ajpatura  Iris).  This  genus  differs  from  Vanessa  in 
having  the  club  of  the  antennae  long  instead  of  knobbed,  as  is 
shown  at  Fig.  6,  and  the  club  nearly  straight.  The  eyes  are 
without  hairs,  the  hind  wings  scalloped,  and  the  first  pair  of 
legs  are  not  used  for  walking.  At  Fig.  a  is  shown  one  of  these 
partially  developed  limbs.  Those  legs  that  are  seen  at  Fig.  3 
are  the  second  pair,  the  first  pair  being  tucked  up  under  the 
front  of  the  thorax.     Only  one  species  inhabits  England. 

Tho?e  of  my  readers  who  do  not  restrict  their  studies  to 

n  D  2 


404 


INSECTS   AT   HOME. 


contemporary  literature  are  doubtless  familiar  with  'Peter 
Pindar's '  poem  on  Sir  Joseph  Banks  and  the  '  Emperor  of 
Morocco,'  certainly  one  of  the  best  of  his  inimitable  witticisms 
at  the  expense  of  science.  The  present  insect  is  the  '  Emperor 
of  Morocco,'  who  led  Sir  Joseph  such  a  chase,  and  left  him  at 
last  in  the  hands  of  an  exasperated  market-gardener. 


XLII 


1.  Arge  Galatltea.  2.  Erebia  blandina.  3.  Apatnra  Iris, 

a.  Apatnra,  non-walking  fore-leg.  6,  Do.,  club  of  antenna.  f.  Do.,  larva. 


Its  popular  name  of  Purple  Emperor  is  a  very  appropriate 
one,  at  least  as  far  as  regards  the  male  insect.  The  ground 
colour  of  the  upper  wings  is  brown-black  in  some  lights,  but  in 
others  is  a  rich  shining  purple,  this  effect  being  produced  by 
the  shape  and  arrangement  of  the  scales,  as  can  be  seen  by 
examining  a  specimen  under  the  microscope.  The  light- 
coloured  bands  and  spots  are  white,  pure  white  in  the  male, 
and  yellowish-white  in  the  female.  Beneath,  the  general  colour 
is  rust-red,  blotched  with  black,  grey,  and  here  and  there  blue. 


CATCHING  THE   PUKPLE   EMPEROR.  405 

When  I  first  began  to  collect  the  British  Butterflies,  the 
Purple  Emperor  was  considered  one  of  the  great  prizes  of 
entomologists — hardly  inferior,  in  fact,  to  the  Great  Copper, 
which  seems  to  have  totally  disappeared  from  the  country.  In 
those  days  the  Emperor  was  supposed  to  restrict  himself  to  the 
topmost  branches  of  the  oak-trees,  and  entomologists  were 
accustomed  to  supply  themselves  with  nets  furnished  with  long 
handles  made  on  the  principle  of  the  fishing-rod,  the  handle  of 
the  net  being  at  least  thirty  feet  in  length.  It  so  happened 
that  I  was  engaged  in  getting  together  an  illustrative  series  of 
insects  for  the  Anatomical  Museum  at  Oxford,  and  happening 
to  possess  a  specimen  of  the  Purple  Emperor,  I  merged  my 
personal  feelings  in  the  public  welfare,  and  presented  to  the 
Museum  my  valued  specimen. 

There  is  a  well-known  saying  to  the  effect  that  '  Virtue  is 
rewarded,'  and  so  it  turned  out  on  this  occasion.  A  very  short 
time  after  the  personal  sacrifice  above-mentioned,  a  friend  sent 
me  a  couple  of  Purple  Emperors,  male  and  female,  which  he 
had  captured  in  Bagley  Wood,  while  they  were  drinking  in  a 
puddle.  Since  that  time  the  habits  of  the  insect  have  been 
carefully  studied,  and  the  result  has  been  that  the  Purple 
Emperor  has  been  rendered  comparatively  familiar.  Beautiful 
as  it  is,  it  has  a  strange  liking  for  the  most  repulsive  viands. 
There  is  nothing  it  likes  better  than  the  juices  of  putrid 
animal  substances,  and  a  dead  dog  or  cat,  which  would  drive 
away  any  human  being  who  possessed  nostrils  and  was  not  an 
entomologist,  would  attract  the  Purple  Emperor  to  a  rich 
banquet. 

Now-a-days  entomologists  who  wish  to  catch  the  Purple 
Emperor  do  not  trouble  themselves  to  procure  nets  with  pre- 
posterous handles — weapons  with  which  I  scarcely  believe  that 
a  successful  stroke  can  be  made.  They  now  look  out  for  a 
secluded  open  space  or  glade  in  the  wood,  situated,  if  possible, 
on  wet  soil,  lay  on  the  ground  a  piece  of  bullock's  liver,  a  dead 
rat  or  rabbit,  or,  in  fact,  any  kind  of  animal  substance,  and  go 
away  again.  The  best  plan  is  to  make  a  circle  of  half  a  mile 
or  so  in  diameter,  and  lay  down  the  baits  at  distances  of  a  few 
hundred  yards. 

In  two  or  three  days,  according  to  the  weather,  they  come 
back  again,  and  steal  quietly  to  the  spot.     Should  the  district 


406  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

be  one  that  is  favoured  by  this  insect,  very  few  of  the  baits  will 
be  without  a  Purple  Emperor  either  settling  on  it  or  being  at 
hand;  and,  like  the  Eed  Admiral,  when  engaged  in  taking 
food,  the  insect  is  so  absorbed  in  its  occupation  that  it  can  be 
taken  without  the  least  difficulty.  If  the  locality  be  well 
selected,  and  the  baits  judiciously  laid,  it  is  very  seldom  that 
the  entomologist  will  complete  his  round  without  having  the 
opportunity  of  capturing  this  splendid  Butterfly.  So  successful 
is  this  method  of  capturing  the  Purple  Emperor  that  one 
entomologist  succeeded  in  taking  eighty  specimens  in  nine 
days. 

The  caterpillar  or  larva  is  a  very  odd-looking  creature,  and 
is  represented  on  Woodcut  XLII.  Fig.  c.  The  most  conspicuous 
points  in  this  curious  larva  are  the  two  horns  with  which  the 
head  is  furnished.  It  feeds  on  the  sallow,  and,  when  partly 
grown,  assumes  so  nearly  the  colour  of  the  leaf  that  a  sharp  eye 
is  needed  to  detect  it.  There  are  many  markings  and  shades 
of  colour  in  the  caterpillar  which  need  no  notice,  the  general 
green  hue  and  the  horned  head  affording  characteristics  which 
cannot  be  mistaken.  The  perfect  insect  appears  somewhere  in 
July,  the  precise  date  depending  much  on  .the  weather. 

Next  comes  the  family  of  the  Satyi'idse,  in  which  the  first 
pair  of  legs  are  not  used  for  walking,  the  club  of  the  antenna 
is  bold  and  abrupt,  and  the  wings  are  rounded.  The  larva  has 
no  spines,  and  the  pupa  is  nearly  smooth.  Our  first  example  is  the 
]\Iaiibled  White  [Arge  Galathea),  which  is  drawn  on  Woodcut 
XLII.  Fig.  1.  The  colours  of  this  pretty  insect  are  simply 
black  and  yellowish  white,  the  amount  of  yellow  differing 
according  to  the  sex.  The  under  surface  is  paler  than  the 
upper.  The  first  pair  of  wings  have  a  small  eye-like  spot  near 
the  tip,  and  on  each  of  the  second  pair  there  are  six  similar 
spots  arranged  in  a  row  near  the  edge  of  the  wing.  The  row  is 
not  complete,  there  being  a  gap  between  the  third  and  fourth 
spots.  The  larva  feeds  on  grass,  and  the  pupa  does  not 
suspend  itself,  nor  indeed  take  any  trouble  in  securing  a 
resting-place.  The  perfect  insect  appears  in  July,  and  is  very 
plentiful  in  many  places,  while  in  others  it  is  scarcely  ever 
seen.  The  sea-coasts  of  Kent  are  favoured  localities  of  this 
Butterfly,  especially  the  country  near  Dover,  Folkestone,  and 


THE   'BKOWN'   butterflies.  407 

Margate.  Some  years  ago  I  took  a  great  number  of  Marbled 
Whites  in  a  field  near  St.  Margaret's  Bay,  and  could  have  filled 
a  cabinet  with  them  in  a  few  hours.  Sometimes  this  Butterfly 
frequents  a  certain  pasture  field,  which  is  a  sure  locality  for  it. 
Then  if  the  field  be  ploughed  up,  and  devoted  to  corn  or 
clover,  the  Butterfly  vanishes  entirely  from  the  neighbour- 
hood. 

Another  insect  belonging  to  this  family  is  given  on  Woodcut 
XLII.  Fig.  2.  Its  popular  name  is  the  Northern  Brown 
{Erebia  blandina  or  Medea).  The  latter  of  these  names  is 
the  older  in  date,  and  although  not  so  familiar  as  the  former 
name,  has  been  restored  by  Mr.  Newman  on  the  score  of 
priority. 

The  colour  of  this  Butterfly  is  deep  blackish-brown,  with  an 
indistinct  broad  band  of  rust-red  running  nearly  parallel  with 
the  hind  margin  of  the  wings.  These  bands  are  adorned  with 
black  eye-like  spots,  with  centres  of  pure  white.  The  two  first 
spots  of  the  upper  wings  are  always  united  so  as  to  form  a 
figure  of  8.  The  under  surface  of  this  Butterfly  is  very  pretty, 
the  colours  being  disposed  in  a  very  bold  manner.  The  first 
pair  of  wings  are  dark-brown,  with  a  very  broad  yellowish  band 
in  which  are  eye-like  spots  corresponding  with  those  of  the 
iipper  surface.  The  second  jjair  of  wings  are  liable  to  much 
variety,  but  may  be  generally  described  as  grey  with  two  broad 
waved  dark  bands.  Several  little  black  spots  with  white  centres 
occupy  the  space  between  the  bands. 

This  is  not  a  common  insect,  inasmuch  as  it  belongs  more 
especially  to  the  northern  portions  of  our  island  ;  and,  though  it 
is  very  plentiful  in  some  parts  of  Scotland,  is  the  rarest  of  the 
rare  in  the  southern  counties. 

There  are  several  other  well-known  Butterflies  belonging  to 
this  family,  but  our  space  will  not  permit  of  description.  Such,  for 
example,  are  the  Speckled  Wood  Butterfly  {Satyrus  Egeria), 
the  Wall  Butterfly  {Satyrus  Megcera\  the  Gtratling  {Satyrus 
Semele),  the  Meadow-Brown  {Satynis  Janira),  and  the  Einglet 
{Satyrus  Hyperanthus),  the  last-mentioned  insect  being  re- 
markable for  the  fact  that  the  upper  surface  of  the  wings  is 
perfectly  plain  bro^vn,  while  the  under  surface  is  warm  brown 
adorned  with  sixteen  spots,  each  spot  having  a  white  centre, 


408  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

then  a  broad  black  circle,  and  then  an  outer  circle  of  white. 
It  is  an  extremely  variable  Butterfly,  both  in  the  size  and 
number  of  the  spots ;  but  ninety-nine  specimens  out  of  a 
hundred  have  the  sixteen  spots,  three  on  each  of  the  upper 
wings  and  five  on  each  of  the  lower  wings,  the  latter  being 
arranged  in  two  groups  consisting  of  three  and  two  spots.  All 
these  Butterflies  are  plentiful,  and  can  be  caught  without 
difficulty  in  lanes  or  fields,  their  flight  being  sluggish,  and 
never  rising  much  above  the  ground. 

We  now  pass  to  the  family  of  the  Lycaenidse,  in  \Vhich  are 
included  those  small,  but  very  lovely  Butterflies  which  are 
known  by  the  popular  name  of  Blues  and  Coppers,  in  allusion 
to  the  prevalent  tints  of  their  wings.  The  latter  insects  are 
seldom  seen  except  by  those  who  go  to  look  for  them,  but  the 
former  are  prevalent  everywhere,  fluttering  low  over  wide 
downs,  settling  on  wild  flowers,  or  aiding  in  adorning  our 
gardens  with  their  beautifully  variegated  wings.  I  well  re- 
collect that  one  of  the  chief  pleasures  of  my  childhood  was  to 
watch  for  the  appearance  of  the  Blue  Butterflies  in  our  garden 
at  Oxford,  a  locality  for  which  some  of  the  species  had  a  sj)ecial 
predilection. 

They  might  well  frequent  that  garden,  for  I  never  killed  but 
one  of  them,  and  that  was  for  the  purpose  of  examining  the 
spots  on  the  under  surface  by  the  aid  of  a  small  pocket 
microscope — to  which  instrument  I  owe  much  of  my  attach- 
ment to  Natural  History.  Children  have  strange  ideas  in  their 
little  heads,  and  in  my  own  brain  as  a  child  was  a  deeply 
rooted  conviction  of  some  affinity  between  the  Blue  Butterflies 
and  the  flower  of  the  sweet-pea.  I  have  plenty  of  children  of 
my  own  now,  but  I  can  never  see  a  Blue  Butterfly  without 
thinking  of  a  clump  of  sweet-peas,  an  old  garden  wall,  a  snow- 
berry  bush,  and  a  lattice-sided  summer-house,  covered  with 
vine-leaves  and  grape-clusters.  Neither  wall,  bush,  summer- 
house,  nor  vine  has  now  an  outward  existence,  but  they  are  as 
vividly  present  to  my  memory  whenever  I  see  a  Blue  Butterfly 
as  they  were  when  I  was  a  child  of  six  years  old. 

On  Woodcut  XLIII.  Figs.  1  and  2,  is  shown  the  rarest, 
even  if   not   the    most    beautiful,    of  these    Butterflies,    the 


THE  GREAT  COPPER  BUTTERFLY. 


409 


celebrated  Great  Copper  Butterfly  (Polyommatus  or  Chry- 
sophanus  dispar). 

The  two  sexes  of  this  insect  are  very  differently  coloured. 
The  male  is  fiery  copper  above,  with  a  little  blackish  spot  and  a 
black  hind  margin  to  the  upper  wings.  The  lower  wings  are 
also  edged  with  black,  and  have  a  slight  streak  in  the  middle. 


XLllE 


c.  Do.,  antenna.        d.  Do.,  palpus. 

The  female  has  the  upper  wings  marked  with  a  broad  black 
edoe  and  a  number  of  black  spots,  as  shown  in  the  illustration. 
He"  under  wings  are  brown,  edged  and  spotted  with  black,  and 
have  a  copper  band  parallel  with  the  hind  margin.  Beneath, 
both  sexes  are  alike,  the  upper  wings  being  orange,  diversified 
with  a  number  of  deep  black  spots,  most  of  which  are  sur- 
rounded with  a  grey  line.     The  under  wings  are  grey,  with  an 


410  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

t 
orange  band  corresponding  with  the  copper  band  of  the  other 

side,  and  a  number  of  grey-edged  black  spots. 

Fig.  1  represents  the  female,  and  Fig.  2  the  male. 

The  larva  is  a  sluggish  and  slug-like  creature,  feeding  on  the 
great  water  dock  {RuTnex  hydrolapathuTn),  which  only  grows 
in  wet  places.  It  moves  very  slowly,  and,  as  the  colour  almost 
exactly  resembles  that  of  the  leaf  on  which  it  feeds,  it  is  not 
easily  seen.  This  caterpillar  is  shown  at  Fig.  a,  and  the  pupa 
at  Fig.  b.  Fig.  c  represents  one  of  the  antennae,  Fig.  d,  the 
palpus. 

As  far  as  England  goes,  this  handsome  Butterfly  is  now 
extinct.  In  former  years  it  was  tolerably  plentiful  in  the  fens 
of  Cambridge  and  Huntingdon,  but  no  specimens  have  been 
seen  for  many  years,  and,  in  all  probability,  the  last  British 
specimens  were  taken  in  1848. 

A  GOOD  example  of  the  Blue  Butterflies  is  given  on  Wood- 
cut XLIII.  Fig.  3.  This  is  the  Clifden  Blue  {Polyoramatus 
Adonis'). 

The  colour  of  this  pretty  species  is  bright  shining  blue, 
with  a  delicate  white  line  on  the  costal  margin  of  the  fore- 
wings,  and  a  black  line  on  the  hind  margin.  The  fringe  of  the 
wing  is  pure  white,  with  a  black  spot  at  the  end  of  each 
nervure.  The  female  is  brown  on  the  upper  surface,  with  a 
slight  gloss  of  blue,  and  on  the  fore-wings  is  an  indistinct 
blackish  spot  on  the  disc,  and  a  number  of  small  spots  parallel 
with  the  hind  margin.  Both  sexes  have  the  under-side  of  the 
wings  brownish,  with  a  number  of  little  spots.  This  Butterfly 
is  found  on  chalk  downs  and  similar  places,  but  seems  to  be 
restricted  to  those  spots  where  there  is  a  substratum  of 
chalk. 

Passing  of  necessity  by  the  rest  of  the  Blues  and  the  little 
Butterflies  called  by  the  name  of  Hair-streaks,  we  come  to 
the  family  of  Hesperidse,  popularly  known  by  the  name  of 
Skippers,  probably  on  account  of  their  quick,  uncertain  flight. 
They  are  all  small  insects,  coloured  with  brown,  black,  grey, 
and  white,  and  very  thickly  and  clumsily  made,  so  that  many 
persons  unskilled  in  entomology  take  them  for  moths.  They 
have  the  fore-legs  fitted  for  walking,  and  when  at  rest  they 


THE  SKIPPERS.  411 

hold  their  wings  only  partially  erect,  and  never  pressed  closely 
together,  as  is  the  case  with  the  previously-mentioned  Butter- 
flies. They  are  plentiful  in  country  lanes,  and  are  often 
taken  in  the  net  when  the  stroke  is  made  at  other  insects, 
their  vague  and  almost  jerking  flight  carrying  them  into  it. 

The  pupae  of  these  insects  resemble  those  of  several  moths 
in  the  manner  in  which  they  are  protected  during  their  help- 
less state  of  existence.  When  the  larva  is  full-fed,  it  spins  a 
cocoon  among  the  leaves  of  its  food-plant,  and  in  that  silken 
cell  awaits  its  change  into  the  perfect  condition. 

The  species  which  is  represented  on  Woodcut  XLIII.  Fig.  4, 
is  the  Chequered  Skipper  {Eesperia  paniscus).  The  colour 
of  its  wings  is  dark  brown,  upon  which  are  a  number  of  yellow 
spots,  arranged  as  shown  in  the  illustration.  The  antenna  are 
bright  yellow  beneath,  and  banded  with  black  and  yellow  above. 
It  is  rather  a  local  species,  and  is  found  chiefly  in  the  Midland 
comities.     It  appears  in  the  beginning  of  summer. 

A  MOKE  common  species,  the  Gtkizzled  Skipper  {Hesperia 
malvce  or  alveolus)  is  shown  on  Woodcut  XLIII.  Fig  5.  The 
wings  are  nearly  black,  sprinkled  with  white  spots,  as  shown  in 
the  illustration.  The  antennse  are  white,  ringed  with  black. 
There  are,  however,  several  varieties  of  colouring,  one  of  which 
is  so  constant  that  the  insects  have  been  considered  to  form  a 
different  species,  under  the  name  of  Scarce  Grrizzled  Skipper. 

The  larva  of  this  species  feeds  on  the  common  bramble,  and 
draws  together  the  edges  of  the  leaves,  so  as  to  form  a  tem- 
poraiy  habitation.  Its  colour  is  brownish  green,  with  a  few 
dark  stripes,  and  the  pupa  is  greyish  white,  spotted  with  black. 
The  perfect  insect  appears  at  the  beginning  of  summer. 


CHAPTER   II. 

BETEROCERA,   OR  MOTHS. 

THE    NOCTURNI,    INCLUDING   THE    SPHINGES   AND   BOMBYCES    OF   LINN^US. 

It  has  already  been  mentioned  that  there  is  no  difficulty  in 
distinguishing  English  butterflies  from  English  Moths.  Simi- 
larly, there  is  none  in  distinguishing  English  Moths  from  Eng- 
lish butterflies. 

In  the  first  place,  the  antennae  of  these  insects  are  not 
knobbed  at  the  end,  but  pointed.  Some  of  them  have  the 
ends  of  the  antennae  much  enlarged,  as  may  be  seen  by 
reference  to  the  Moths  on  Plate  XIV.  and  Woodcut  XLIV.  In 
all  these,  however,  the  club  of  the  antenna  is  elongated,  and 
the  end  is  pointed.  Moreover,  whereas  in  the  butterfly  the 
shaft  of  the  antenna  is  straight  and  simple,  in  many  of  the 
Moths  it  is  cui-ved,  and  in  others  is  adorned  with  a  feathering, 
sometimes  on  one  side  and  often  on  both.  For  this  reason  the 
scientific  name  of  Heterocera,  or  '  Varied  horns,'  has  been 
given  to  these  insects,  just  as  Ehopalocera,  or  '  Clubbed  horns' 
is  given  to  the  butterflies. 

Then,  the  wings  of  a  Moth  at  rest  are  not  pressed  to- 
gether over  the  back,  like  those  of  the  butterflies,  but  either 
lie  flat  on  the  body  or  along  its  sides.  The  body,  moreover, 
has  no  waist  like  that  of  the  butterfly.  Keeping  these  few  and 
obvious  distinctions  in  his  mind,  the  young  entomologist  need 
never  hesitate  to  decide  to  which  great  group  any  lepidopterous 
insect  belongs. 

The  first  family  is  that  of  the  Sphingidae  or  Sphinx-Moths. 
They  derive  their  name,  not  from  any  peculiarity  in  the  Moths 
themselves,  but  in  their  larvae,  some  of  which  are  thought  to 
bear  in  their  attitude   a    fanciful  resemblance    to   the    well- 


death's  head  moth.  413 

known  Sphinx  of  Egypt.  The  Moths  themselves  are  popularly 
and  appropriately  called  Hawk-Moths,  on  account  of  the  great 
swiftness  of  their  flight,  which  very  much  resembles  that  of 
the  hawk  tribe.  Their  whole  structure,  indeed,  shows  that 
they  are  made  for  rapid  flight,  and,  if  we  compare  them  with 
the  swift-flying  birds,  especially  the  swallows  and  the  humming- 
birds, we  shall  find  that  the  outlines  of  Moths  and  birds  are 
wonderfully  similar.  Their  bodies  are  of  moderate  length, 
and  pointed  at  the  tail,  and  their  wings  are  long,  strong,  stiff, 
narrow,  and  pointed.  In  fact,  if  the  shadow  of  a  humming- 
bird and  of  a  Hawk  Moth  were  thrown  side  by  side  on  the 
same  surface^  it  would  not  be  easy  to  tell  which  was  the 
shadow  of  the  bird  and  which  of  the  insect. 

With  a  very  few  exceptions,  these  Moths  fly  only  at  night  or 
in  the  dusk  of  the  evening,  so  that  to  watch  their  flight  is  not 
an  easy  matter.  The  best  plan  is,  on  some  moonlight  night, 
to  take  a  stand  near  some  honey-bearing  flowers,  to  remain 
perfectly  still,  and  watch  quietly.  Should  there  be  Hawk- 
Moths  in  the  neighbom-hood,  some  of  them  are  tolerably  sure 
to  come  to  the  flowers,  and  to  feed  in  their  own  peculiar 
manner,  by  poising  themselves  in  mid-air  on  their  rapidly 
quivering  wings,  and  thrusting  their  sucking-tubes  or  trunks 
into  the  recesses  of  the  flower.  As  these  Moths  will  not  fly  by 
day,  and  as  the  partial  darkness  prevents  their  movements  from 
being  seen,  it  is  better  to  look  out  for  the  well-known 
Humming-bird  Hawk-]\loth,  which  does  fly  by  day,  and  is  a 
very  bold  insect,  allowing  itself  to  be  approached  quite  closely. 

Our  first  example  of  the  Hawk-Moths  is  the  magnificent 
Death's  Head  ]MoTir  (Acherontia  Atropos),  a  figure  of  which  is 
given  on  Plate  XIV.  Fig.  1. 

This  splendid  creature  ranks  among  the  very  largest  of  our 
insects,  inasmuch  as  the  spread  of  its  wings  is  very  consider- 
able, and  the  body  is  thick  and  heavily  made.  The  upper 
surface  of  the  fore  wings  is  warm-brown,  with  bands  and 
mottlings  of  a  darker  hue,  and  a  little  white  spot  on  the  disc. 
The  hind  wings  are  yellow,  with  two  black  bands.  The 
thorax  is  densely  covered  with  a  soft  velvet-like  down,  feeling 
to  the  touch  very  much  like  the  fur  of  the  mole.  The  colour 
ifi  a  very  deep  black-brown,  and  in  the  middle  is  a  yellow 


414  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

mark  which  bears  the  most  startling  resemblance  to  a  skull 
and  the  two  collar  bones.  The  hair  is  so  long  that  the  shape 
of  the  skull  can  be  altered  by  pressure.  The  body  is  yellow, 
wi:h  a  longitudinal  black  stripe  along  the  middle,  and  six 
black  transverse  bands,  each  marking  the  edge  of  a  segment. 
Beneath,  the  body  and  wings  are  yellow,  with  an  indistinct 
dark  band  across  the  middle  of  each  wing  and  a  slightly 
darkened  edging.  The  antennae  are  very  thick,  covered  with 
down,  and  furnished  at  the  tips  with  a  sharp  hook. 

In  fact,  the  chief  characteristic  of  this  insect  is  hair,  with 
which  the  body,  thorax,  head,  antennae,  and  legs  are  thickly 
covered,  even  the  wings  have  a  soft,  downy  aspect,  which  is 
due  to  the  structure  of  the  scales.  If  some  of  these  scales  be 
detached,  and  examined  by  means  of  a  microscope,  they  will 
be  seen  to  be  very  large,  and  increasing  in  width  from  the  base 
to  the  tip,  which  is  modified  into  four  or  five  long  points. 

The  larva  of  this  Moth  is  of  enormous  size,  as  may  be  seen 
by  reference  to  Plate  XIV.  Fig.  2.  in  which  the  larva  is  drawn 
of  its  natural  size.  It  is  a  very  handsome  caterpillar,  and 
exceedingly  variable  in  tint,  the  general  colour  varying 
through  different  shades  of  yellow,  green,  and  grey.  The 
whole  surface  is  covered  with  very  tiny  black  dots,  and  on 
each  side  are  seven  diagonal  blue  or  purple  stripes,  edged  with 
white.  Near  the  end  of  the  tail  is  a  curious  horn-like  ap- 
pendage, curved  downwards  and  then  slightly  recurved  upwards 
near  the  point.  The  horn,  contrary  to  the  usual  fashion  of  such 
horns,  is  very  rough  and  covered  with  tubercles. 

It  feeds  on  various  plants,  of  which  the  jessamine  and  the 
potato  are  the  favourites,  though  it  may  be  found  in  the 
snowberry,  the  tea-tree,  and  the  deadly  nightshade,  this  plant 
being  allied  to  the  potato.  This  caterpillar  is  invariably 
called  a  locust  by  the  country  people.  As  both  the  caterpillar 
and  Moth  are  nocturnal  feeders,  although  the  country  be 
covered  with  potato-fields,  and  the  insect  be  quite  plentiful,  it 
will  be  seen  as  seldom  as  if  it  were  one  of  the  rarest  of  species. 
In  the  neighbourhood  of  my  house  there  are  several  large 
potato-fields,  and  I  often  have  these  splendid  Moths  brought 
to  me,  so  that  I  have  been  enabled  to  supply  my  friends  with 
specimens,  and  to  watch  their  ways  when  in  confinement. 

One  of  the  most  remarkable  points  in  connection  with  this 


CRY  OF  THE  DEATH'S  HEAD  MOTH.  415 

insect  is  its  capability  of  producing  sounds — a  capability  which 
is  scarcely  less  striking  than  the  skull  depicted  upon  its 
thorax.  If  seized,  or  alarmed  in  any  way,  it  produces — for  I 
cannot  say  utters — a  sharp  squeaking  sound,  something  like 
the  cry  of  a  mouse.  It  was  always  easy  to  make  my  Death's 
Head  Moths  squeak,  nothing  more  being  required  than  to 
introduce  a  little  stick  under  the  glass  shade  which  covered 
them,  and  to  press  one  of  their  feet.  The  aggrieved  Moth 
would  then  crouch  as  low  as  possible,  and,  with  a  sort  of  shiver 
or  tremble  of  the  whole  body,  out  came  the  squeak. 

Although  this  sound  is  familiar  to  entomologists,  no  one  has 
yet  discovered  its  source.  Some  have  thought  that  it  is  caused 
by  the  rubbing  of  the  head  against  the  thorax,  some  by  the 
attrition  of  the  antennse  and  trimk,  and  some  by  the  friction  of 
the  thorax  against  the  abdomen.  These  theories  are,  however, 
neutralised  by  the  fact  that  not  only  can  the  perfect  insect 
produce  the  squeak,  but  that  the  caterpillar  can  do  so,  which 
possesses  neither  trunk  nor  antennse,  and  has  no  distinctive 
head,  thorax,  or  abdomen. 

It  is  a  remarkable  point  that  agricultural  labourers,  who 
have  the  very  best  opportunities  of  ascertaining  the  habits  of 
living  beings,  scarcely  ever  do  so,  and  when  they  do  are 
invariably  afraid  of  them.  The  ominous-looking  mark  on  the 
thorax  has  always  caused  the  insect  to  be  looked  on  with  dread, 
not  only  in  this  country  but  on  the  Continent  generally,  in  the 
southern  parts  of  which  it  is  very  plentiful.  The  power  of 
producing  a  sound  is  another  cause  of  fear,  and  I  have  else- 
where narrated  an  amusing  incident,  where  a  whole  circle  of 
village  people  were  standing  around  a  Death's  Head  Moth  that 
had  by  some  mischance  got  into  the  churchyard.  Not  one  of 
them  dared  touch  it,  and  at  last  it  was  killed  by  the  village 
blacksmith,  who  courageously  took  a  long  jump  and  came  down 
on  the  unfortunate  Moth  with  his  iron-shod  boots. 

In  this  country  it  certainly  does  no  harm,  but  in  Southern 
Europe  it  is  said  to  enter  bee-hives  and  lick  the  honey  from 
the  cells. 

Owing  to  the  vast  quantity  of  hair  with  which  the  body  is 
covered  it  is  of  some  consequence  to  secure  specimens  that  are 
not  damaged  by  being  rubbed,  as  is  generally  the  case  with 
those  that  are  captured  by  hand.     The  best  mode  of  obtaining 


416  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

really  perfect  specimens  is  to  rear  them  from  the  caterpillar. 
Labourers  are  not  mucli  afraid  of  the  caterpillar,  though  they 
are  of  the  perfect  insect,  and  the  easiest  mode  of  obtaining 
both  the  larva  and  the  pupa  is  to  go  to  a  potato-field  in  which 
the  labourers  are  at  work,  and  offer  a  small  sum  for  uninjured 
'  locusts  '  and  '  ground-grubs.' 

It  will  be  as  well  to  take  a  pupa  in  order  to  show  them  the 
exact  object  that  is  wanted.  Drawings,  however  faithful,  are,  I 
find,  utterly  useless,  the  uneducated  eye  being  absolutely  unable 
to  comprehend  them.  Some  time  ago,  wanting  a  few  living- 
specimens  of  the  Flour  Beetle  ( Tenebrio  7nolitor\  described  on 
page  146, 1  made  some  careful  coloured  drawings  of  the  insect, 
took  them  to  different  bakers,  and  asked  them  to  procure  some 
specimens.  I  do  not  know  whether  baking  is  a  business  that 
affects  the  human  intellect  or  the  human  eye,  but  in  every  case 
the  bakers  brought  me  a  paper  bag  full  of  cockroaches.  And 
even  when  the  different  size,  colour,  and  shape  of  the  two 
insects  was  pointed  out,  the  bakers  in  question  could  not  be 
made  to  understand  but  that  one  insect  '  would  do  '  as  well  as 
another. 

The  caterpillars  of  the  Death's  Head  Moth  being  obtained, 
and  a  continual  supply  of  fresh  potato-leaves  ensured,  they 
should  be  kept  as  much  as  possible  in  the  dark.  When  they 
are  full-fed  they  should  be  placed  on  light  soft  earth,  into 
which  they  will  burrow,  and  undergo  their  transformations 
underground.  It  is  as  well  to  plant  in  the  soil  a  few  sticks  up 
which  the  Moth  can  climb  when  it  emerges,  and  t<3  which  it 
can  cling  while  it  dries  its  wings.  Care  must  be  taken  to  keep 
the  earth  moderately  moist,  placing  damp  but  not  wet  moss 
upon  it.  Unless  this  precaution  be  taken,  the  outer  skin  of 
the  pupa  will  become  so  hard  that  the  insect  will  not  be  able 
to  make  its  way  out  when  it  is  fully  developed.  I  have  lost 
several  Moths  in  this  way,  and  have  had  one  or  two  in  a  very 
maimed  and  imperfect  condition,  their  wings  being  quite 
shrivelled,  and  scarcely  one-sixth  their  proper  size. 

Against  this  evil  the  Moth-breeder  can  easily  guard,  but 
there  is  one  against  which  he  is  powerless,  and  that  is  the 
presence  of  the  ichneumon-fly,  which  has  been  described  on 
page  322.  It  is  impossible  to  obviate  or  ameliorate  this 
danger,  for.  even  if  there  were  any  indications  of  the  parasite's 


SPUKGE    HAWK-MOTH.  417 

presence,  it  could  not  be  extracted  without  killing  the  cater- 
pillar. Supposing,  however,  that  the  Moth  has  successfully 
made  its  exit  from  the  pupal  shell,  and  has  shaken  out  its 
wings  to  the  fullest  extent,  it  can  be  killed  by  placing  it  under 
a  glass,  and  introducing  into  the  same  some  bruised  young 
laurel-leaves.  I  find  that  the  most  effectual  mode  of  employing 
the  laurel  is  to  take  a  dozen  small  leaves,  wrap  them  in  muslin, 
roll  them  up  tightly,  and,  with  two  or  three  blows  of  a  mallet, 
crush  them.  The  folded  muslin  can  then  be  slipped  under  the 
glass,  and  in  a  very  short  time  the  JNIoth  quietly  expires,  s\j 
that  an  absolutely  perfect  and  bright  specimen  is  obtained. 

"When  the  insect  is  quite  dead  the  abdomen  should  be  care- 
fully severed  from  the  body,  and  the  whole  of  the  contents 
removed  by  enlarging  the  little  opening  which  will  then  be  left 
at  its  base.  The  empty  abdomen  should  then  be  stuffed  with 
cotton  wool,  care  being  taken  to  make  it  full  large  in  order  to 
allow  for  shrinking,  and  when  it  is  dry  it  may  be  joined  to  the 
thorax  without  leaving  the  least  trace  of  the  junction.  It  will  be 
as  well  to  pour  a  few  drops  of  benzole  into  the  abdomen  and 
also  into  the  thorax,  as  this  precaution  will  keep  off  the  mites 
and  other  creatures  that  work  destruction  among  dried  insects. 
All  large-bodied  Moths  should  be  thus  treated,  and  some  of 
them  can  scarcely  be  preserved  from  the  unsightly  '  grease,'  so 
hated  by  entomologists,  without  this  useful  substance. 

For  the  purpose  of  rearing  the  Moth  from  the  larva,  the 
latter  should  be  obtained  about  August,  as  it  will  then  be 
nearly  full-fed,  and  save  a  vast  amount  of  trouble  in  procuring 
a  supply  of  food.  The  pupae  themselves  may  be  found  under 
the  soil  somewhere  about  September. 

On  Woodcut  XLIV.  Fig.  3,  may  be  seen  a  figure  of  the 
pretty  and  rare  Spurge  Hawk-Moth  {Deilephila  euphorbice). 
The  colour  of  the  upper  wings  of  this  insect  is  grey,  with  two 
large  olive-brown  spots  and  a  diagonal  band  of  the  same  colour. 
The  lower  wings  are  pink,  with  a  large  black  patch  near  the 
base,  a  black  band  nearly  parallel  with  the  margin,  and  a  white 
spot  at  the  anal  angle. 

Specimens  of  these  Moths  have  been  bred  from  the  cater- 
pillar, but  I  believe  that  none  have  been  captured  with  the 
net,  so  that  of  the  many  specimens  which  are  found  in  private 

£   £ 


418 


INSECTS  AT  HOME. 


collections  nearly  all  are  impostors,  having  been  brought  from 
the  Continent,  and  then  sold  as  genuine  British  specimens. 
The  professional  collectors,  who  make  a  living  by  the  sale  of 
insects,  are  terribly  addicted  to  this  trick,  and  although  several 
of  them  are  good  practical  naturalists,  and  have  done  service  to 
science  by  discovering  the  haunts  of  sundry  rare  insects,  the 
generality  have  no  more  conscience  than  dog-dealers  or  pigeon- 

ZLIV 


1.  Anthrocera  filipendula;. 
a.  Eeilephila,  larva. 


2.  Sesia  apiformis. 
b.  Anthrocera,  larva. 


3.  Deilephila  euphorbias. 
c.  Do.,  cocoon. 


fanciers,  and  will  invent  a  history  for  any  insect  so  that  they 
get  a  good  price  for  it. 

The  larva  of  this  Moth  is  shown  at  Fig.  a  of  the  same 
Woodcut,  and  will  serve  as  a  good  example  of  the  usual  form 
among  Hawk-Moth  caterpillars,  one  of  the  most  conspicuous 
characteristics  being  the  sharply  pointed  horn  at  the  end  of  its 
body.  The  use  of  this  horn  is  exceedingly  problematical.  That 
it  must  serve  some  purpose  is  evident,  but  what  that  purpose ' 


EYED  HAWK-MOTH.  419 

may  be  is  still  a  question.  There  are  many  parts  in  many 
animals  which  seem  to  serve  no  purpose,  and  are  evidently  the 
rudiments  of  some  organ  which  has  not  been  developed.  This 
horn,  however,  is  clearly  not  within  this  category,  as  it  is  far 
too  large  and  conspicuous  not  to  be  of  real  importance.  At 
first  sight  it  looks  as  if  it  were  a  weapon,  but  in  tlie  first  place, 
a  caterpillar  needs  no  weapon,  and  in  the  second  case,  the  horn 
is  incapable  of  being  used  as  a  weapon.  Take  any  Hawk-Moth 
caterpillar,  and  if  roughly  handled  it  will  twist  itself  about  in 
its  efforts  to  escape,  but  it  will  not  even  attempt  to  pierce  the 
hand  with  its  horn.  And,  even  if  it  did  wish  to  do  so,  the 
position  of  the  horn  is  about  tlie  worst  that  could  be  selected 
for  the  purpose.  There  is  no  doubt  that  the  formidable-looking 
horn  does  deter  ignorant  people  from  touching  the  caterpillar, 
but  I  cannot  believe  that  so  conspicuous  an  appendage  was 
given  to  the  larva  for  so  limited  a  purpose. 

All  the  caterpillars  of  the  Hawk-Moths  are  prettily  coloured, 
while  in  some  of  them  the  hues  may  almost  be  termed  brilliant. 
In  the  present  species  the  general  colour  is  black,  relieved  by  a 
vast  number  of  tiny  white  dots.  The  head  is  red,  and  a  red 
streak  runs  along  the  back  from  the  head  to  the  horn,  the  basal 
part  of  which  is  red,  the  tip  being  black.  The  large  spots' 
which  are  seen  on  the  larva  are  whitish-grey,  and  beneath  them 
are  smaller  spots  of  the  same  red  as  that  of  the  head. 

Owing  to  our  limited  space,  we  can  but  casually  glance  at 
some  other  British  Hawk -Moths.  There  is,  for  example,  the 
Eyed  Hawk-Moth  [Smerinthus  ocellatus),  so  conspicuous  by 
the  large  eyelike  spots  in  the  middle  of  the  lower  wings,  and 
the  beautiful  pink-brown  of  the  upper  wings.  The  larva  of 
this  Moth  has  a  very  rough  skin,  is  pale-green  in  colour, 
speckled  with  white,  and  has  seven  diagonal  stripes  on  each 
side  of  the  body.     The  horn  is  blue. 

Then  there  is  the  less  conspicuous,  but  really  beautiful. 
Poplar  Hawk-Moth  {Smerinthus  populi),  so  common  in  the 
summer,  clinging  to  the  bark  of  trees,  to  rough  posts,  and 
other  objects  which  somewhat  resemble  it  in  general  colour. 
It  may  be  known  by  the  mottled  brown  of  the  upper  wings, 
with  a  white  spot  in  the  middle,  and  the  warm  chestnut  at  the 
base  of  the  lower  wings.     The  caterpillar  is  rough,  like  that  of 


420  INSECTS   AT   HOME. 

the  last-mentioned  species,  and  is  green  sprinkled  with  yellow, 
and  has  seven  diagonal  yellow  stripes  on  each  side.  The  horn  is 
yellow  above  and  orange  beneath.  This  caterpillar  is  plentiful, 
and  can  be  beaten  out  of  the  boughs  of  the  Lombardy  poplar. 

This,  by  the  way,  is  a  simple  and  very  effective  plan  of 
securing  larvae,  not  to  mention  perfect  insects.  Nothing  more 
is  wanted  than  an  umbrella  and  a  long  stick.  The  umbrella  is 
opened,  reversed,  and  held  under  the  boughs.  A  smart  tap 
with  the  stick  is  sure  to  dislodge  the  caterpillars,  and  send 
them  tumbling  into  the  umbrella,  whence  they  can  be  transferred 
to  the  collecting-box.  If  bough-beating  is  to  be  carried  out 
on  a  large  scale,  it  is  as  well  to  have  a  sheet  held  under  the 
branches,  and  then  to  ascend  the  tree,  and  tap  every  bough 
that  can  be  reached.  In  fact,  the  poplar  can  scarcely  be 
treated  in  any  other  manner.  The  umbrella,  however,  is 
sufficient  for  ordinary  purposes. 

As  to  the  collecting-box  which  has  just  been  mentioned,  I 
had  one  which  I  found  extremely  useful.  It  was  oval,  boldly 
domed  above,  and  from  the  middle  of  the  lid  projected  a  tube 
an  inch  in  height,  and  three-quarters  of  an  inch  in  diameter. 
This  was  closed  with  a  cork,  and  through  it  the  caterpillars 
were  introduced  into  the  box.  Unless  some  such  plan  be 
adopted,  the  collector  is  horribly  worried  by  the  caterpillars. 
There  is  no  difficulty  about  the  first  two  or  three,  but  when  a 
dozen  or  more  large  caterpillars  are  in  the  box,  it  is  no  easy 
matter  to  put  in  one  without  three  or  four  pushing  their  way 
out,  so  as  to  run  the  risk  of  being  squeezed  to  death  when  the 
lid  is  closed.  By  employing  the  tube  and  cork,  however,  no 
such  risk  is  run,  and  the  box  can  be  quite  filled  with  cater- 
pillars without  one  even  attempting  to  escape.  Some  collectors 
suspend  the  box  over  their  shoulders,  but  I  always  kept  it  in  a 
pocket,  merely  fastening  it  by  a  string  to  a  buttonhole  of  the 
coat,  so  as  to  guard  against  its  loss  by  falling  out  of  the 
pocket.  A  few  small  holes  should  be  bored  in  the  lid  for  the 
admission  of  air.  As  far  as  regards  size,  they  should  not  be 
larger  than  pin-holes,  and,  as  far  as  regards  number,  six  or 
eight  are  quite  enough. 

On  lime  and  elm  trees  may  be  found  the  larva  of  the  Lime 
Hawk-Moth  {Smerinthus  tilun).     This  is  easily  known  by  the 


LIME  AND  PRIVET  MOTHS.  421 

very  deep  scalloping  of  the  fore-wings  and  the  prevalence  of 
olive-green  in  its  colouring.  There  is  some  variation  in  the 
arrangement  of  the  markings,  but  the  present  species  is  the 
only  one  in  which  the  deep  olive-green  is  the  leading  colour, 
without  any  admixture  of  chestnut  or  pink.  The  attitude  of 
the  Aloth  at  rest  is  a  very  curious  one,  the  under  wings  being 
completely  concealed  beneath  the  upper  pair,  the  scalloped 
edges  of  which,  and  their  mottled  surface,  have  the  most 
astonishing  resemblance  to  a  pair  of  withered  leaves. 

The  larva  is  pale  green,  and  covered  with  very  small  tubercles, 
each  being  topped  with  yellow.  Along  the  sides  are  seven 
diagonal  stripes  of  yellow,  which  are  mostly  edged  with  pink. 
The  horn  is  blue  above  and  yellow  beneath.  In  most  parts  of 
England  this  is  a  very  plentiful  insect,  and  can  be  either  bred  or 
captured  without  the  least  difficulty.  In  my  collection,  by  far 
the  greater  number  were  bred  from  the  caterpillar,  and  most  of 
them  from  the  full-fed  larva,  which  was  captured  as  it  was  de- 
scending the  trunks  of  trees  in  search  of  loose  soil  in  which  to 
bury  itself:  I  have  bred  considerable  numbers  of  this  insect, 
and  have  found  no  difficulty  in  rearing  them— less  difficulty,' 
in  fact,  than  I  have  experienced  with  any  Hawk-Moth,  except,'  ' 
perhaps,  the  Privet  Moth,  respecting  which  a  few  words  must 
presently  be  said. 

Passing  by  the  Convolvulus  Hawk-Moth  {Sphinx  convol- 
vuh\  we  may  pause  for  a  while  upon  the  well-known  Peivet 
Moth  {Sphinx  ligustri),  so  called  in  honour  of  the  plant  on 
which  the  larva  feeds. 

This  fine  Moth  is  really  one  of  the  commonest  of  British 
msects,  although  seldom  seen  on  account  of  its  nocturnal  habits 
and  the  limited  amount  of  the  plant  on  which  it  mostly  feeds 
The  Moth  itself  is  a  very  handsome  one,  with  a  wide  expanse  of 
wmgs,  very  prettily  coloured.    The  upper  wings  are  very  warm 
brown,  mottled  and  clouded  with  dark  brown  ;  and  the  lower 
wmgs  are  pink,  crossed  by  three  nearly  horizontal  black  bands 
The  body  is  pink, banded  and  striped  with  black.    The  caterpillar 
is  a  peculiarly  handsome  one.    It  is  smooth  and  green,  and  has 
on  each  side  seven  diagonal  stripes,  the  upper  part  of  each  stripe 
being  violet,  merging  rapidly  into  white  towards  the  under  side 
These  caterpillars  feed  on  the    common   privet,  and   may 


422  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

almost  always  be  found  in  profusion  where  that  plant  is 
present.  The  best  plan  for  ascertaining  the  presence  or 
absence  of  this  larva,  is  to  examine  the  ground  beneath  the 
plant.  If  there  be  some  tiny,  oblong  bundles  of  masticated 
leaves,  there  is  no  doubt  about  the  matter,  and  all  that  is 
recjuired  is  a  fair  amount  of  perseverance. 

In  consequence  of  the  large  size  of  this  larva,  it  has  always 
been  rather  a  pet  among  entomologists,  especially  after  New- 
port's splendid  dissections.  The  horn  is  rather  in  the  way 
when  the  caterpillar  is  laid  on  its  back  for  dissection,  but  the 
various  organs  are  well  defined,  and  give  little  trouble  to  the 
dissector  who  undertakes  the  task  of  tracing  the  development 
of  each  organ,  from  the  larval  to  the  perfect  state. 

Another  of  the  Hawk-Moths  which  deserves  a  passing  notice 
is  the  Elephant  Hawk-Moth  (Chcerocampa  Elpenor).  This 
species  is  smaller  than  those  which  have  been  described,  and  is 
a  very  pretty  insect.  The  upper  wings  are  brown-green,  shaded 
diagonally  with  pink,  and  the  lower  wings  are  pink,  with  black 
bases.  The  thorax  and  body  are  coloured  like  the  upper 
wings,  their  ground  hue  is  brown  with  a  green  gloss,  and  there 
are  four  longitudinal  pink  stripes  upon  the  thorax,  while  the 
sides  of  the  abdomen  are  pink,  and  a  stripe  of  the  same  colour 
runs  down  the  centre. 

The  name  of  Elephant  Moth  which  is  given  to  it  is  due,  not 
to  the  perfect  insect,  but  to  the  larva,  which  possesses  the 
power  of  elongating  or  contracting  the  three  first  segments  of 
the  body  in  a  manner  which  is  fancifully  thought  to  resemble 
the  proboscis  of  the  elephant.  The  generic  title  of  Ghcero- 
campa,  or  swine-caterpillar,  is  given  to  this  and  other  Moths 
on  account  of  this  structure  of  the  larva.  On  either  side  of  the 
fourth  and  fifth  segment  is  a  large,  black,  eye-like  mark,  which 
many  persons  really  think  to  be  the  eyes  of  the  caterpillar. 
This  larva  feeds  chiefly  on  the  common  willow-herb,  and  may 
be  found  in  August.  The  perfect  insect  makes  its  appearance 
in  June. 

We  now  come  to  a  very  common  and  interesting  insect,  well 
known  by  the  popular  and  appropriate  name  of  Humming-bird 
Moth  {Macroglossa  stellataruTn),  a  figure  of  which  is  given  on 
Plate  XIV.  Fig.  3. 


PLATE    XIV. 
HAWK    MOTHS. 


1.  Acherontia  atropos. 

2.  Acherontia  larva. 

8.  Macroglossa  stellatarum. 
4.  Macroglossa  fuciformis. 


Plaux: — 
Potato. 


THE  HUMMING-BIRD  HAWK-MOTH.  423 

The  colours  of  this  insect  are  anything  but  brilliant  or  con- 
spicuous, and  yet  it  is  a  very  pretty  Moth.  The  upper  wings 
are  brown,  with  a  few  slight  black  mottlings,  and  the  lower  • 
wings  are  warm  chrome  yellow,  with  a  narrow  edging  of  black. 
Beneath,  it  is  coloured  much  like  the  lower  wings,  but  the  hue 
is  duller.  The  thorax  and  abdomen  are  of  the  same  colour  as 
the  upper  wings,  but  the  latter  has  some  black  and  white  spots 
along  the  sides,  which  are  covered  with  tufts  of  black  and  white 
hair,  which  are  spread  during  flight.  There  is  a  tuft  of  black 
hair  at  the  end  of  the  abdomen. 

The  caterpillar  feeds  chiefly  on  the  Bedstraw  (Galium),  and, 
but  for  the  characteristic  horn  at  the  end  of  the  body,  would 
scarcely  be  taken  for  the  larva  of  a  Hawk-Moth.  Its  colour 
is  greenish  brown,  sometimes  taking  a  pink  tinge,  and  there 
are  two  lines  along  the  sides,  one  pink  and  white,  which  reaches 
to  the  base  of  the  horn,  and  the  other  dull  brown,  beneath  the 
lighter  line. 

In  some  places,  the  Humming-bird  Hawk-Moth  is  exceed- 
ingly plentiful,  while  in  others  it  is  quite  rare.  In  Kent,  it 
absolutely  swarms  in  some  seasons,  but  in  others  only  a  few 
are  seen.  This  variability  probably  depends  much  on  the 
weather.  Last  year  (1870),  when  we  had  a  continuance  of  hot 
weather  in  the  summer,  the  Humming-.bird  Moth  appeared  in 
multitudes  ;  whereas,  in  the  corresponding  part  of  the  present 
year  (1871)  the  Moths  have  been  comparatively  few  and  far 
between. 

Sombre  as  is  the  colouring  of  this  insect,  I  really  do  not 
know  any  Moth  which  is  more  interesting  to  the  spectator. 
Fortunately,  it  flies  by  day,  and,  like  the  lovely  bird  whose 
flight  it  imitates,  revels  in  the  hottest  sunshine.  If,  on  a  hot 
summer  day,  the  observer  will  take  his  stand  by  a  jessamine  or 
other  honey-bearing  flower,  and  will  quietly  wait  there,  he  will 
assuredly  see  a  Humming-bird  Moth  before  long,  should  the 
locality  be  one  which  is  frequented  by  this  insect.  Suddenly, 
as  he  is  watching  a  flower,  his  eyes  see  a  kind  of  shadowy 
form  flitting  in  front  of  the  flowers,  and  his  ears  are  greeted  by 
the  hum  which  accompanies  the  flight  of  the  Moth.  Let  him 
but  lift  a  hand,  and  the  creature  is  gone — how,  or  where,  it  is 
impossible  to  say,  so  amazingly  swift  is  the  darting  flight. 

Still,  though  it  be  gone,  it  will  come  back  again  if  no  move- 


424  INSECTS  AT   HOME. 

ment  be  made,  and,  in  the  same  mysterious  manner,  the  Moth 
is  again  hovering  in  front  of  the  flowers.  Presently,  it  selects 
one  of  them,  and,  poising  itself  within  an  inch  or  so  of  the 
blossom,  its  body  becomes  visible,  while  its  rapidly  vibrating 
wings  look  like  two  grey  patches  of  mist  on  the  sides  of  the 
motionless  body.  Presently,  a  wonderfully  long  and  slender 
tongue  is  tlirust  froba  the  head,  plunged  deeply  into  the  re- 
cesses of  the  flower,  and,  thus  suspended  in  mid-air,  the  insect 
takes  its  sweet  repast.  It  is  a  very  remarkable  fact  that  the 
Humming-birds  themselves  feed  in  precisely  the  same  manner- 

Indeed,  the  whole  bearing  of  this  insect,  including  the  ecund 
made  by  its  wings,  so  closely  resembles  that  of  the  bird,  that 
many  persons  who  have  lived  in  those  parts  of  the  world  which 
are  favoured  by  the  presence  of  the  Humming-birds,  have  been 
so  completely  deceived  by  the  Moth  that  they  have  written 
letters  to  newspapers  and  scientific  journals,  asserting  that 
humming-birds  have  at  last  made  their  way  even  to  England. 
There  is  no  better  proof  of  the  wonderful  resemblance  between 
the  bird  and  the  moth  than  that  persons  who  have  been  long 
familiar  with  the  former  should  mistake  the  latter  for  it,  and 
should,  moreover,  be  filled  with  indignation  when  practical 
entomologists  ventured  to  assert  that  the  creature  in  question 
was  a  moth,  and  not  a  bird. 

The  boldness  of  this  JMoth  is  as  remarkable  as  its  wariness. 
It  really  seems  to  place  such  confidence  in  its  magnificent 
powers  of  flight  that  it  despises  danger.  Let  a  Humming-bird 
Moth  take  a  fancy  to  a  particular  flower,  and  it  will  be  almost 
impossible  to  keep  it  from  that  flower.  Time  after  time  it  may 
be  driven  away,  for,  as  I  have  already  mentioned,  even  the 
lifting  of  a  hand  will  startle  it.  But  it  continually  returns  to 
the  same  flower,  and,  sooner  or  later,  takes  its  fill  of  the  sweet 
juices.  There  is  scarcely  a  year  wherein  this  Moth  does  not 
find  a  place  in  the  newspapers  under  some  title  or  other,  some 
of  them  not  a  little  ludicrous.  Eesidents  in  the  East  Indies 
may  well  be  pardoned  for  thinking  the  Moth  to  be  a  veritable 
humming-bird,  but  it  is  not  so  easy  to  see  why  so  many  persons 
should  assert  that  it  is  the  locust  of  Scripture,  should  mention 
it  under  that  name  to  the  daily  journals,  and  should  answer 
with  contumelious  epithets   the  letters  of  entomologists  who 


THE  BEE  HAWK-MOTHS.  425 

tell   til  em  that  locusts  and  moths    are  not    exactly  the  same 
insects. 

The  enormously  long  proboscis  or  tongue,  with  which  it  ex- 
tracts the  liquid  sweets  from  the  flowers,,  has  obtained  for  the 
genxis  to  which  this  and  a  few  other  insects  belong,  the  name 
of  Macroglossa^  or  Long-tongue. 

t 

The  next  insect  on  our  list  is  the  Narrow-Bordered  Bee 
Hawk-Moth  [Macroglossa  hoinhyliformis). 

According  to  Mr.  Newman,  this  Moth  belongs  to  the  same 
genus  as  the  last,  but  some  authors  place  it  in  a  different 
family.  Personally,  I  agree  with  Mr.  Newman,  and  so  accept 
his  name.  This  is  one  of  a  number  of  Moths  in  which  the 
wings  are  almost  wholly  denuded  of  scales,  so  that  they  are 
as  transparent  as  those  of  the  Hymenoptera,  to  some  of  which 
they  bear  a  curious,  not  to  say  startling,  resemblance. 

The  present  species  is  called  the  Bee  Hawk-Moth,  because, 
with  its  translucent  wings  and  hairy  body,  it  bears  a  strangely 
close  resemblance  to  a  humble-bee.  Indeed,  so  precisely  do 
some  of  those  insects  resemble  certain  bees  and  wasps  that, 
even  to  a  practised  eye,  there  is  some  difficulty  in  distinguish- 
ing them  when  on  the  wing.  The  colouring  of  this  species  is 
very  simple.  The  edge  of  the  wings  is  brown,  narrow  on  the 
upper  wings,  and  much  narrower  on  the  lower  pair.  The 
thorax  is  brown  with  a  very  slight  tinge  of  green.  The  abdomen 
is  dun-colour,  crossed  by  three  black  bands  ;  one  a  very  broad 
one  at  the  base  of  the  abdomen,  and  the  two  others  quite 
narrow.  There  are  some  tufts  of  stiff  black  hair  on  the  sides, 
which  it  spreads  when  flying,  after  the  manner  of  the 
Humming-bird  Moth. 

There  is  another  allied  British  Moth  belonging  to  this 
genus,  namely  the  Broad-Bordered  Bee  Hawk-Moth  {Macro- 
glossa  fucifovniis),  which  is  drawn  on  Plate  XIV.  Fig.  4.  In 
this  insect  the  transparent  wings  are  edged  with  a  broad, 
chestnut  border,  the  upper  wings  having  a  brown,  diagonal 
spot  in  the  centre,  and  a  large  patch  of  the  very  deepest 
black-green  at  the  base.  The  thorax  and  base  of  the  abdomen 
are  brown  with  a  slight  green  tinge,  as  is  the  tip,  the  remainder 
being  warm  chestnut  brown.     Like  the  preceding  insect,  it  has 


426  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

along  the  sides  some  black  tufts  of  hair,  which  it  spreads 
during  flight. 

This  beautiful  Moth  appears  about  May;  but,  as  it  is  a 
creature  of  the  sun,  it  is  seldom  seen,  except  by  experienced 
entomologists,  who  know  where  and  when  to  look  for  it. 
Sheltered  glades  and  open  spaces  in  woods  are  its  favourite 
haunts,  but  it  never  appears  unless  the  air  be  both  warm  and 
still.  Should  the  day  be  cold  and  dull,  and  especially  if  the 
wind  should  be  in  the  north-east,  the  practised  insect-hunter 
knows  that  he  need  not  trouble  himself  about  this  beautiful 
and  capricious  insect. 

The  larva  of  this  species  feeds  on  several  plants,  among 
which  are  mentioned  the  bedstraws,  the  common  lychnis,  and 
the  wood  scabious.  It  is  chiefly  in  consequence  of  this  mode  of 
feeding  that  these  insects  have  been  separated  from  the  next 
group,  which  bear  a  great  external  resemblance  to  them,  but 
whose  larvae  burrow  into  wood. 

The  next  family  is  that  of  the  Sesiadse,  the  members  of  which 
have  a  wonderful  resemblance  to  certain  bees,  wasps,  and  flies, 
their  wings  being  translucent,  and  their  bodies  being  elongated 
and  narrow,  quite  unlike  those  of  the  preceding  naked-winged 
insects.  The  antennae  have  no  feathering,  and  are  very  often 
tipped  with  a  small  tuft  of  hairs.  The  tongue  is  not  nearly  so 
long  as  in  the  preceding  genus,  and  in  most  cases  the  end  of 
the  abdomen  is  tipped  with  a  spreading  brush  of  hair.  , 

Our  first  example  of  these  remarkable  Moths  is  the  Poplar 
Hornet  Clear-wing  {Sesia  apiformis),  which  is  represented  on 
Woodcut  XLIV.  Fig.  2.  This  remarkable  insect  affords  one  of 
the  best  examples  of  imitation  that  I  know.  Only  a  few  hours 
before  writing  this  account,  I  was  looking  over  some  rather 
neglected  drawers  of  insects,  on  the  glass  of  which  a  slight 
layer  of  dust  had  been  allowed  to  accumulate.  I  knew  that  a 
Hornet  Clear-wing  was  among  them,  and  yet  the  insect  twice 
escaped  observation,  so  strongly  does  it  resemble  the  hornet 
beetle  in  colour  and  shape. 

The  upper  wings  of  this  insect  are  transparent,  with  a  slight 
yellowish  tinge,  and  a  narrow,  dark  border.  The  head  is 
yellow,  and  there  is  a  yellow  patch  on  either  side  of  the  brown 


THE  CLEAH-WINGS.  427 

thorax.  The  abdomen  is  yellow,  with  a  broad  dark-brown 
band  near  the  middle,  and  a  very  narrow  band  of  a  similar 
colour  nearer  the  base.  The  legs  are  orange-yellow.  In  fact, 
the  colouring  of  this  Moth  is  almost  identical  with  that  of  the 
hornet,  the  peculiar  rich,  warm  brown  of  the  markings  and  the 
yellow  of  the  ground  colour  being  almost  exactly  identical 
in  both  insects. 

The  caterpillar  of  this  Moth  burrows  into  the  wood  of  the 
poplar  and  aspen,  and  in  its  tunnel  undergoes  all  its  changes. 
"When  the  larva  is  full-fed,  it  spins  for  itself  a  rather  tough 
cocoon,  made  of  small  fragments  of  wood  bound  together  with 
silk,  and  the  Moth  emerges  about  midsummer.  The  larva  of 
this  species  passes  two  years  in  the  tree  before  it  changes  to 
the  pupal  state. 

To  this  genus,  which  contains  thirteen  British  species,  belong 
the  lesser  Clear-wing  Moths,  which  derive  their  names  from  the 
singular  resemblance  which  they  bear  to  various  flies  and 
Hymenoptera.  They  all  have  slender  bodies,  tipped  with  a 
spreading  brush  of  hair,  and  their  wings  are  transparent,  with 
a  black  edge,  black  nervures  to  the  lower  wings,  and  the  upper 
wings  edged  and  mostly  barred  with  black,  brown,  or  orange. 

The  commonest  of  them  is  the  Currant  Clear-wing  (Sesia 
tipuliformis),  which  may  be  found  in  the  summer-time  resting 
on  the  leaves  of  the  currant.  It  bears  a  remarkable  resem- 
blance to  a  gnat,  whence  the  name  tipuliformis,  i.e.  formed 
like  a  gnat.  There  are  two  longitudinal  yellow  streaks  6n  the 
thorax,  and  three  bars  of  the  same  hue  across  the  body. 

The  larva  of  this  Moth  lives  inside  the  twigs  and  young 
branches  of  the  currant,  from  which  it  bores  out  the  pith,  and 
often  kills  the  branch.  Indeed,  whenever  a  bough  of  the 
currant  begins  to  wither  away  without  any  perceptible  cause,  a 
larva  of  this  Moth  may  generally  be  found  within  it. 

One  of  these  curious  Moths  takes  its  name  from  the  ant, 
another  from  the  chrysis  or  fire-tail,  another  from  the  gall-fly, 
and  so  on.  None,  however,  afford  such  a  perfect  example  of 
imitation  as  does  the  Hornet  Clear-wing  of  the  poplar,  which 
would  even  deceive  an  entomologist  unless  examined  closely. 

The  family  of  the  Zeuzeridoe  is  remarkable  for  the  fact  that 
the   females   are   furnished  with  a  long  and  hard   ovipositor. 


428  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

by  means  of  which  they  can  introduce  their  eggs  beneath 
the  bark  of  the  trees  on  which  the  caterpillars  feed.  The 
tongue  and  antennae  are  short,  and  the  larva  is  naked,  with  the 
exception  of  a  few  scattered  hairs.  There  is  a  peculiarity  in 
the  chrysalis,  which  will  presently  be  described. 

A  very  characteristic  example  of  this  family  is  given  on 
Woodcut  XLV.  Fig.  1,  the  insect  being  popularly  and  appro- 
priately called  Wood  Leopard  Moth  {Zeuzera  cesculi).  This 
is  a  very  pretty  moth,  though  the  colours  are  simply  white  and 
black.  The  white,  however,  is  partially  translucent,  and  the 
black  is  in  reality  the  very  deepest  blue-green.  The  figure 
represents  the  female.  The  male  is  coloured  in  a  similar 
manner,  but  his  antennse  are  boldly  curved,  and  adorned  for  the 
first  half  of  their  length  with  a  deep  double  comb. 

At  Fig.  a  is  represented  the  caterpillar  of  the  Wood  Leopard, 
about  half-grown.  As  may  be  seen  by  reference  to  the  illustra- 
tion, it  very  much  resembles  the  perfect  insect  in  markings, 
the  green  colour  being  white  and  the  spots  shining  black. 
Behind  the  head  is  a  large  black  plate.  This  caterpillar 
burrows  into  the  limbs  of  many  trees,  especially  fruit  trees, 
but  appears  to  do  little,  if  any,  harm  to  them.  Indeed, 
Mr.  Newman  states  that  fruit  trees  which  are  pierced  by  this 
larva  bear  even  more  abundantly  than  those  which  are 
untouched  by  it. 

The  perfect  insect  appears  in  the  middle  of  summer,  and  is  a 
common  insect,  though  it  will  seldom  be  found  except  by 
persons  who  know  where  and  when  to  look  for  it.  The  female 
mostly  remains  near  the  tree  in  which  she  was  bred,  and  may 
be  found  at  night  clinging  to  the  trunk,  where  she  can  be 
detected  by  the  aid  of  a  lantern.  The  male  is  much  bolder, 
and  flies  abroad  in  search  of  his  male.  He  is  one  of  the  many 
Moths  that  fly  towards  a  light,  and  can  often  be  taken  by  the 
simple  process  of  putting  a  lamp  near  an  open  window.  Many 
entomologists  have  made  quite  valuable  collections  of  insects  by 
this  one  plan. 

With  respect  to  this  particular  Moth,  Mr.  W.  C.  Hewitson 
notices,  in  'The  Entomologist's  Monthly  Magazine,'  for  Sep- 
tember 1869,  a  very  curious  appearance  of  this  insect.  '  A  fort- 
night ago,  twelve  Zeuzera  sesculi  came  down  my  drawing-room 
chimney.     They  were  all  males.      What  business   they   had. 


THE  WOOD   LEOPAED  MOTH. 


429 


there  I  cannot  say.  I,  looked  in  vain  for  a  female.'  There 
is  some  little  difference  of  opinion  respecting  the  generic 
name  of  this  Moth.  Professor  Westwood  states  that  the  right 
mode  of  spelling  it  is  Zenzera,  that  being  the  original  name 
given  to  it  by  Latreille,  and  that  Zeuzera  is  simply  the  error 
of  the  printer,  who  had  mistaken  the  letter  u  for  the  n,  or, 
perhaps,  had  turned  the  n  upside  down.     Be  this  as  it  mav, 


4 


1.  Zenzera  fesculi.        2.  Cossus  ligniperda.        a.  Zeuzera,  larva.        6,  Cossns,  larva. 


the  word  Zeuzera  is  now  so  universally  acknowledged  among 
entomologists  that  I  have  retained  it,  and  simply  mention 
Mr.  Westwood's  correction. 

There  is  a  peculiarity  in  the  structure  of  the  chrysalis  of 
this  and  other  Moths  of  the  family.  Each  segment  is  fur- 
nished on  its  edges  with  a  row  of  little  hooks  by  means  of 
which  it  can  traverse  its  tunnel  nearly  as  fast  as  it  could 
while  in  the  caterpillar  state.     As  the   pupae  of  the  Lepido- 


430  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

ptera  generally  are  quiescent,  and  few  can  do  more  than  jerk 
the  tail  from  side  to  side  when  irritated,  it  is  rather  startling 
to  see  a  chrysalis  wriggle  itself  up  and  down  the  burrow  which 
it  has  made  while  in  the  caterpillar  state. 

We  now  come  to  the  Goat  Moth  {Cossus  ligniperda), 
so-called  on  account  of  the  very  strong  odour  which  is  given 
out  by  the  larva,  and  bears  some  resemblance  to  the  powerful 
scent  of  the  he-goat.  A  figure  of  this  insect  is  given  on 
Woodcut  XLV.  Fig.  2. 

The  colour  of  this  Moth'  is  nothing  more  than  brown  of 
different  shades,  arranged  as  shown  in  the  illustration.  As  far 
as  the  perfect  insect  goes,  there  is  but  little  interest  about  it, 
but  in  the  larval  condition  it  is  peculiarly  interesting,  were  it 
only  for  the  fact  that  everything  which  can  do  harm  contains 
within  itself  an  element  of  interest.  We  will  rapidly  trace  the 
life  of  the  Goat  Moth,  from  the  deposition  of  the  egg  to  the 
development  of  the  perfect  insect. 

It  has  already  been  mentioned  that  the  female  Moths  of  this 
family  possess  a  long  ovipositor.  With  this  instrument  the 
female  Goat  Moth  carefully  lodges  her  eggs  deeply  in  the  crevices 
of  the  bark  of  some  tree,  and  there  leaves  them.  In  process  of 
time  they  are  hatched,  and,  tiny  as  they  are,  soon  are  able  to 
bore  their  way  into  the  tree.  They  spend  four  years  in  the 
body  of  the  tree,  apparently  never  ceasing  to  eat,  and  boring 
their  tunnels  through  and  through  the  solid  wood.  These 
tunnels  increase  in  size  according  to  the  development  of  the 
caterpillar,  and,  as  a  great  number  of  larvae  generally  inhabit 
one  tree,  it  is  no  wonder  that  so  many  trees  are  killed  by 
them. 

The  number  of  these  destructive  creatures  that  are  found  in 
one  tree  may  be  imagined  from  an  experiment  made  by  Mr. 
Douglas.  He  found  an  elm  lying  on  the  ground^  having  been 
blown  down  in  consequence  of  the  galleries  of  the  Goat  Moth 
caterpillar  weakening  the  trunk  so  much  that  it  could  not 
endure  the  wind.  He  cut  off  a  piece  of  the  trunk  two  feet 
long,  and  twenty-three  inches  in  diameter  at  one  end  and 
fifteen  at  the  other.  Wishing  to  place  it  in  a  vessel  sixteen 
inches  in  diameter,  he  was  obliged  to  cut  it  to  the  required 
size,  and   in   so   doing   turned   out  no  less  than  sixty-seven 


THE  GOAT  MOTH.  431 

caterpillars,  while  the  remainder  of  the  block  was  equally  well 
stocked  with  these  larvae. 

One  of  these  caterpillars,  about  one-fourth  grown,  is  shown 
at  Fig.  6,  and  a  curious-looking  creature  it  is.  The  skin  irt 
very  smooth  and  shining,  and  without  hairs,  except  some  stiff 
bristles  wliich  project  from  jeach  segment.  These  are  not  so 
conspicuous  in  the  larva  as  in  the  drawing.  The  colour  is  pale 
mahogany,  except  the  head  and  a  hard  plate  on  the  second 
segment,  which  are  black.  The  body  is  rather  flattened,  the 
head  is  wedge-shaped,  and  furnished  with  very  powerful  jaws. 
When  full-grown  the  caterpillar  exceeds  three  inches  in  length, 
and  is  as  thick  as  a  man's  finger.  The  strength  of  a  full-grown 
larva  is  enormous,  and  its  powers  of  forcing  its  way  out  of  the 
vessel  in  which  it  is  confined  must  be  seen  to  be  appreciated. 
I  have  kept  many  of  these  larvae,  and  never  felt  sure  of  them. 
They  were  continually  escaping.  Putting  them  into  a  wooden 
box  was  quite  useless,  as  they  ate  their  way  through  the  side  in 
a  very  short  time.  Putting  them  in  a  tin  box  was  equally 
useless  unless  the  cover  were  tied  down,  for  they  had  a  way  of 
pushing  at  the  lid  round  the  edges,  and  so  gradually  opening  it 
sufficiently  to  permit  their  escape.  Even  perforated  zinc  is  not 
safe  from  them,  for  I  have  known  my  caterpillars  to  find  out  a 
place  where  the  zinc  has  been  cracked,  fix  their  short  and 
powerful  jaws  in  the  holes,  and  fairly  twist  down  a  flap  through 
which  they  managed  to  force  themselves. 

The  odour  which  these  creatures  give  out  is  equally  powerful 
and  enduring,  and  to  many  persons  is  peculiarly  hateful. 
Whether  from  use  or  not  I  cannot  say,  but  I  do  not  find  it 
nearly  so  offensive  as  the  odour  of  many  other  insects,  such  as 
the  Dyticus  beetle  and  the  Lace-wing  fly.  The  odou?  per- 
meates the  whole  of  the  tunnels,  and  for  years  after  they  have 
been  deserted  the  scent  is  sufficiently  strong  to  denote  the 
inhabitant. 

When  the  larva  is  full-fed  it  forms  a  cocoon  made  of 
fragments  of  gnawed  wood  and  silk.  The  cocoon  is  very  tough, 
and  will  withstand  much  rough  handling.  These  cocoons  are 
oval,  similar  in  shape  at  both  ends,  flexible,  and  yellow  in 
colour,  and  are  very  strongly  scented  with  the  odour  of  the 
insect  which  made  them.  There  is  considerable  variety  in  the 
size  of  the  cocoons,  and  some  are  barely  half  as  large  as  others. 


432  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

The  small  cocoons  seem  never  to  produce  Moths,  but  are 
infested  by  an  ichneumon-fly,  which,  fortunately  for  us,  preys 
on  the  Goat  Moth  caterpillar.  Not  that  the  large  cocoons  are 
free  from  this  parasite,  for,  as  every  one  knows  who  has  bred 
them,  the  large  cocoons  frequently  disappoint  the  collector,  and 
produce  ichneumons  instead  of  Moths.  It  is  a  curious  fact 
that  the  ichneumon  itself  (^Lampronota  setosa)  possesses  an 
odour  similar  to  that  of  the  larva  in  which  it  lays  its  eggs. 

In  the  'Entomologist'  for  August  1868,  Miss  E.  Newman 
mentions  that  she  possesses  a  Groat  Moth  cocoon  whicli  was 
made  with  earth  instead  of  wood-chips,  and  was  discovered  in 
April,  in  the  middle  of  an  arable  field.  After  being  removed 
from  the  cocoon  and  placed  in  a  breeding-cage,  the  larva  again 
burrowed  into  the  earth,  and  emerged  at  the  end  of  June, 
perfect  in  every  respect,  but  rather  smaller  than  the  usual  size. 

After  the  larva  has  lain  in  its  cocoon  for  some  time,  it 
discharges  from  its  mouth  a  fluid  which  is  contained  in  two 
large  sacs  within  the  body,  and  softens  the  silk  so  that  it  can 
be  easily  broken.  It  then  throws  off  the  caterpillar  skin  and 
becomes  a  chrysalis,  which  is  at  first  white  and  soft,  but 
afterwards  hard  and  brown.  The  edges  of  the  segments  are 
furnished  with  little  points  directed  backwards,  and  by  alter- 
nately stretching  and  contracting  the  abdomen,  the  pupa  forces 
itself  along  its  larval  tunnel  until  it  comes  to  the  end.  Just 
before  the  final  transformation  the  pupa  renews  its  efforts,  and 
fairly  pushes  itself  through  the  thin  shell  of  bark  that  has  been 
allowed  to  remain  by  the  larva. 

It  still  continues  to  push  its  way  on  until  it  has  forced  itself 
through  the  opening,  as  far  as  the  base  of  the  abdomen.  After 
a  while  the  pupal  skin  splits,  and  the  Moth  emerges  slowly, 
climbing  up  the  bark  of  the  tree,  and  there  clinging  while  it 
shakes  out  its  wings.  The  empty  pupa  skin  remains  at  the 
entrance  of  the  tunnel,  and  towards  the  middle  or  end  of 
summer,  according  to  the  season,  plenty  of  these  empty  shells 
may  be  found  projecting  from  trees  that  are  infested  with  the 
Goat  Moth  larva.  The  Moth  itself  can  generally  be  captured 
upon  the  bark  of  the  tree  in  which  it  has  passed  its  pupal  state. 

The  willow  is  the  tree  that  is  usually  infested  by  this  insect, 
and  vast  damage  is  often  done  by  it.  On  the  Kentish  raarslies 
near   my  house    are   numbers    of  willow-trees,  or  rather  the 


THE  BURNET   MOTHS.  433 

remains  of  them,  which  have  owed  their  death  to  the  Groat 
Moth  larva,  and  from  them  I  have  procured  larvae  and  cocoons 
in  plenty.  Other  trees,  however,  are  attacked  by  this  destruc- 
tive insect,  especially  the  elm,  and  Mr.  Newman  is  of  opinion 
that  those  trees  which  are  apparently  killed  by  thfe  Scolytus 
(which  has  been  described  on  page  186)  have  received  their 
death-blow  from  the  Groat  Moth,  and  have  only  been  attacked 
by  the  Scolytus  when  dying. 

The  Moth  is  a  very  troublesome  one  in  a  cabinet,  as  it  is 
very  liable  to  the  two  chief  pests  of  the  cabinet,  namely, '  grease ' 
and  mites.  I  have  known  one  of  these  Moths  to  be  completely 
hollowed  by  the  mites,  and  to  show  little  signs  of  injury  except 
the  brown  powder  scattered  under  the  affected  insect.  As  soon 
as  the  Moth  was  taken  up  its  body  broke  in  two,  and  at  least 
two  teaspoonfuls  of  powder  and  mites  were  discharged  over  the 
other  insects.  Consequently  it  will  be  found  advisable  to  stuff 
this  Moth,  and  to  put  a  drop  or  two  of  benzole  into  the  cavity. 

For  further  information  on  this  insect,  and  a  full  account  of 
its  ravages,  I  refer  to  an  admirable  monograph  by  Mr.  Newman 
in  the  'Entomologist'  of  November  1869. 

On  Woodcut  XLIV.  (page  418)  and  Fig.  1  is  seen  a  common 
and  very  pretty  Moth  belonging  to  the  family  Zyggenidse. 
The  insects  belonging  to  this'  family  may  be  distinguished 
by  their  very  brilliant  and  boldly  contrasted  colours,  their 
habit  of  flyiflg  by  day,  the  stout  and  hairy  caterpillar,  and  the 
cocoon  fastened  in  an  upright  position  against  the  stems  of 
grasses.  Only  one  genus  inhabits  England.  The  Moth  which 
is  given  in  the  illustration  is  called  scientifically  Zygcena  or 
Anthrocera  fiUpendidce,  and  is  popularly  known  as  the  Six- 
spotted  Burnet.  There  are  four  species  of  Burnet  Moth,  three 
3f  which  are  so  much  alike  that  none  but  a  practised  entomo- 
ogist  can  distinguish  them,  especially  as  the  spots,  from  the 
Qumber  of  which  they  derive  their  popular  name,  are  almost 
precisely  similar.  This  very  beautiful  insect  has  the  upper 
wings  of  the  deepest  possible  green,  so  deep  indeed  as  to 
appear  black  unless  the  light  be  properly  thrown  upon  it. 
The  lower  wings  are  rich  crimson,  edged  with  black.  The 
pec  Jiar  form  of  the  antennae  is  so  well  shown  in  the  illustra- 
tior  as  to  need  no  description. 

F  F 


434  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

The  caterpillar,  which  is  drawn  at  Fig.  6,  feeds  on  tlio 
Bird's-foot  trefoil  {Trifolium  ornithopodioides)  or  the  Common 
Deep  wort  {Spircea  filipendula),  from  the  latter  of  which  the 
insect  derives  its  specific  name.  The  colour  is  yellow,  with  a 
slight  brownish  tinge,  and  it  is  diversified  by  a  double  row  of 
black  spots.  When  the  larva  is  full-fed  it  climbs  up  a  grass 
stem,  and  there  spins  a  very  curious  cocoon,  shaped  exactly  like 
a  spindle,  or,  to  speak  more  familiarly,  like  the  wooden  '  cats ' 
that  boys  are  apt  to  make  in  more  profusion  than  is  agreeable 
to  adult  pedestrians.  These  cocoons  are  pale  straw-colour, 
rather  tough,  and  very  firmly  fixed  to  the  grass.  The  cocoon  is 
shown  at  Fig.  c.  The  perfect  insect  makes  its  appearance  at  the 
beginning  of  summer,  and  always  flies  in  the  hottest  weather, 
so  that  the  sunbeams  play  gloriously  upon  its  splendidly 
coloured  wings  and  body.  Cold  seems  to  paralyse  the  insect, 
and  though  on  a  hot  calm  day  the  Moths  may  be  flying  in 
hundreds  over  the  field,  a  change  of  wind,  bringing  with  it  a 
blast  of  cold  air,  will  send  them  all  under  cover,  so  that,  though 
the  field  be  actually  studded  with  their  cocoons,  not  a  Moth 
will  be  seen. 

The  insect  does  not  appear  to  travel  far,  but,  like  many 
others,  to  restrict  itself  to  certain  favoured  localities.  There 
were  one  or  two  fields  near  Oxford,  which  absolutely  swarmed 
with  these  beautiful  Moths,  while  at  the  distance  of  half  a 
mile  not  a  Burnet  Moth  was  in  sight.  Owing  to  the  great 
similarity  of  the  different  species,  the  entomologist  who  wishes 
to  make  a  good  collection  must  catch  pretty  well  every  Burnet 
Moth  that  he  sees.  With  the  exception  of  the  Transparent 
Burnet  {Zygcena  Minos) — which  I  believe  is  an  Irish,  and  not 
an  English  insect — it  is  absolutely  impossible  to  distinguish 
one  species  from  the  other  on  the  wing,  and  much  care  is 
required  to  separate  them  even  when  they  are  safely  in  thf* 
collecting  box.  I  well  remember,  when  beginning  my  practical 
researches  into  entomology,  how  puzzled  I  was  with  the  dififerenr 
species  of  Burnet  Moth,  and  how  difficult  it  was  to  believe  that 
they  really  were  difi'erent  species,  and  not  merely  varieties  o-- 
one  species. 

Passing  of  necessity  over  many  Moths,  we  come  to  an  insect 
which  is  both  pretty  and  interesting.     This  is  the  Cinnabar 


THE   CINNABAR  MOTH. 


435 


Moth  (Callimorpha  Jacobece\  which  is  represented  on  Woodcut 
XLVI.  Fig.  1.  It  is  an  example  of  the  family  Euchelidee,  in 
which  the  antennaa  are  slender  and  without  any  fringe.  The 
caterpillar  spins  a  slight  web,  in  which  its  hairs  are  scattered, 
and  the  pupa  is  small.  The  name  EuchelidiE  is  formed  from 
two  Greek  words,  signifying  Beautiful  Caterpillar,  and  is  given 
to  the  genus  because  the  larvae  are  all  very  beautifully  coloured. 
To  me  this  is  one  of  the  most  familiar  British  Moths,  being 


XLVI 


.1.  Callimorpha  Jacobeae.         2.  Deiopeia  piilcheUa.        3.  Gastropacha  quercifolia 
a.  Cammorpha,  larra.        6.  Deiopeia,  larra.        c.  Gastropacha,  lan-a. 


one  of  those  that  attracted  me  most  as  a  child.  At  Oxford  it  is 
one  of  the  most  plentiful  of  insects,  flying  about  so  abundantly 
in  the  gardens  that  I  always  had— and  still  retain— a  childish 
notion  that  it  was  the  blossom  of  a  scarlet-runner  gifted  with 
the  power  of  flight.  Common  as  it  is  in  some  places,  it  really  is 
scarce  in  others.     For  example,  so  practised  an  entomologist  as 

r  r  2 


436  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

the  Eev.  J.  Greene  states  that  he  has  only  taken  one  specimen 
of  the  Cinnabar  Moth  in  England,  though  he  did  find  the 
pupa.  This  part  of  Kent  seems  to  be  objectionable  to  the 
Cinnabar  Moth,  though  the  ragwort  {Senecio  Jacohea),  on  which 
it  feeds,  grows  profusely  in  the  neighbourhood.  In  and  near 
Oxford  there  is  scarcely  a  plant  of  ragwort  on  which  the  pretty 
caterpillar,  with  its  orange  body  and  black  rings,  may  not  be 
found,  or  which  has  not  some  of  the  shining  brown  pupse  near  its 
roots.  This  larva  is  shown  at  Fig.  a.  It  has  a  habit  of  coiling 
itself  into  a  ring  when  alarmed,  and  falling  to  the  ground. 

The  colouring  of  the  Cinnabar  Moth  is  very  bold,  and  is 
easily  described.  The  upper  wings  are  very  deep  olive-brown, 
looking  almost  black  by  the  contrast  with  the  brilliant  crimson 
stripe  near  the  costal  margin,  and  the  two  crimson  spots  near 
the  hind  margin.  The  lower  wings  are  wholly  crimson,  slightly 
paler  than  that  on  the  upper  wings,  and  are  edged  with  a 
narrow  border  of  olive-brown.  It  is  remarkable  that  the  upper 
and  under  surfaces  of  this  insect  are  exactly  alike,  except  that 
the  under  surface  is  slightly  paler  than  the  upper.  The  popular 
name  of  Cinnabar  Moth  is  given  to  the  insect  on  account  of  the 
cinnabar-crimson  colour  of  its  wings. 

On  Woodcut  XLVI.  Fig.  2  is  drawn  a  very  pretty  and  very 
scarce  Moth,  called,  from  its  colouring,  the  Ckimson  Speckled 
{Deiopeia  pulchella).  The  upper  wings  of  this  moth  are  white, 
and  they  are  covered  with  a  number  of  square  spots,  seeming 
at  first  sight  to  be  scattered  promiscuously  over  the  wings,  but 
having  a  tolerably  regular  arrangement.  These  spots  are 
scarlet  and  black,  and  are  set  in  transverse  rows,  the  black  and 
scarlet  running  alternately.  The  lower  wings  are  white,  with 
a  slight  clouding  of  black  towards  the  margin.  The  pretty 
caterpillar  is  leaden  blue,  with  a  white  streak  along  the  back, 
and  a  row  of  scarlet  spots  along  each  side. 

This  is  one  of  the  rarest  of  genuine  British  Moths,  and,  if  any 
of  my  readers  should  be  requested  to  purchase  a  '  warranted 
British  Crimson  Speckled,'  they  may  be  quite  certain  that  the 
vendor  is  a  conscious  impostor,  inasmuch  as  so  valuable  a  prize 
would  not  be  hawked  about  for  sale. 

Mr.  Newman's  quaint  and  true  remarks  respecting  certain 
butterflies  will  apply  to  this  and  other  rare  moths  : — '  They  are 
to  be  purchased  in  abundance  at  Id.,  2d.,  or  3d.  each,  neither . 


THE  TIGER  MOTHS.  437 

Kpecies  being  uncommon  on  the  Continent.  Supposing  th« 
purchaser  to  be  fastidious  as  to  his  collection  being  pureb 
British,  he  may  obtain  a  warranty  with  any  individual  speci 
men  he  is  selecting,  by  paying  twenty  or  thirty  shillings  addi 
tional.  The  specimen  then  becomes  "  British,"  just  as  a  wealth) 
tradesman  becomes  an  esquire  by  paying  for  armorial  bearingt 
which  some  ingenious  manufacturer  professes  to  find  iu  Herald't 
College.  I  prefer  dispensing  with  warranty,  as  too  expensive 
a  luxury.' 

A  really  genuine  British  specimen  is  now  before  me.  It 
was  caught  by  a  young  lady  close  to  my  house  at  Belvedere, 
Kent,  on  Sept.  11,  1871,  and  brought  to  me  while  the  wings 
were  still  flexible. 

There  are  only  three  British  species  of  this  beautiful  family. 
Two  have  been  described,  and  the  third  is  the  handsomest  of 
them  all.  This  is  the  Crimson  Tiger  {Gallimoiyha  Dominula), 
which,  fortunately  for  entomologists,  is  not  very  scarce,  though 
it  is  decidedly  local.  The  upper  wings  are  dark  olive-brown, 
with  a  gloss  of  the  richest  and  deepest  green,  and  on  them  are 
a  number  of  bold  white  spots,  variable  in  number  and  size, 
but  always  tending  to  orange  towards  the  middle  of  the  wing. 
The  lower  wings  are  crimson,  with  several  black  patches. 

The  caterpillar  of  this  lovely  Moth  is  blue-black,  with  a 
rather  bro^d  yellow  stripe  down  the  middle  of  the  back,  and  a 
narrow  stripe  on  either  side.  It  feeds  on  the  common  Hound's- 
tongue  (Gynoglossum  officinale),  which  grows  among  valleys 
and  on  road-sides.  Wherever  this  plant,  with  its  downy,  dark- 
green  leaves  and  crimson  flower,  grows  in  plenty,  there  is  sure 
to  be  a  favourable  locality  for  the  caterpillar  of  the  Crimson 
Tiger,*  if  not  for  the  Moth  itself. 

Another  family  now  comes  before  us  —  the  Chelonidee, 
popularly  known  as  Tiger-Moths.  They  have  the  antennse 
more  or  less  deeply  fringed  in  the  male,  and  the  caterpillar  is 
very  hairy,  coiling  itself  into  a  ring  when  alarmed.  Before 
it  changes  into  the  pupal  state,  it  spins  a  very  loose  web 
mixed  profusely  with  its  hairs. 

The  best  known  of  these  insects  is  shown  on  Plate  XV. 
Fig.  1,  and  may  be  reckoned  as  the  type  of  the  family.  It  ig 
the  Common  Tigeu-Motii  {Chelonia  or  Arctia  caja),  so  called 


438  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

on  account  of  the  bold  cream  and  black  markings  of  its  upper 
wings.  The  lower  wings  are  red,  with  some  large  black  spots 
glossed  with  blue.  The  body  is  red,  barred  with  black.  This  is  a 
most  variable  insect,  the  number,  size,  shape,  and  tint  differing 
in  a  most  bewildering  manner.  But  however  variable  it  may 
be,  there  is  never  any  possibility  of  mistaking  it. 

It  is  one  of  the  commonest  of  British  insects,  and  towards 
the  end  of  summer  the  Moth  is  quite  plentiful.  It  is  wonder- 
fully quick  of  foot,  and,  as  it  runs  with  closed  wings  among  the 
herbage,  has  a  most  curious  resemblance  to  a  small  mouse. 

The  larva  is  covered  with  long,  brown,  stiff  hairs,  and  is 
popularly  known  by  the  name  of  the  Woolly  Bear.  It  feeds 
principally  on  the  common  dead  nettle,  but  is  not  in  the  least 
particular  as  to  its  food,  and,  being  very  hardy,  is  an  admirable 
subject  for  experiments  in  Moth-breeding.  Personally  I  have 
a  sort  of  respect  for  this  larva,  as  being  the  first  caterpillar  that 
I  ever  dissected,  and  consequently  the  first  creature  that  let  me 
into  the  secrets  of  insect  anatomy.  When  full-fed,  the  cater- 
pillar spins  a  slight  hammock,  woven  so  loosely  that  the  form 
of  the  enclosed  pupa  can  be  seen  through  its  meshes,  and  in 
this  hammock  it  remains  until  the  perfect  insect  is  developed. 

Passing  by  one  or  two  well-known  insects  for  which  we  have 
no  space,  such  as  the  Ermines,  the  Brown-tail,  the  Gt)lden-tail, 
the  G-ipsy,  we  come  to  the  Black  Arches  {Liparis  monacha),  the 
female  of  which  is  shown  on  Woodcut  XLVII.  Fig.  2.  In  the 
whole  of  this  family  white  is  the  prevailing  colour,  if  colour  it 
can  be  termed,  though  in  several  instances  the  female  is  nearly 
white,  while  the  male  has  some  more  pronounced  hue.  In  the 
preliminary  stages  of  existence,  not  only  the  larvae  but  the 
pupae  are  covered  with  hair. 

The  Black  Arches  Moth  derives  its  popular  name  from  the 
peculiar  colouring  of  the  wings.  The  upper  wings  are  white, 
and  covered  with  a  vast  number  of  black,  arch-like  marks, 
rather  variable  in  size.  In  some  specimens,  for  example,  the 
markings  are  quite  narrow,  and  look  as  if  they  had  been  drawn 
with  a  very  fine  camel' s-h  air  brush  on  a  satiny-white  ground. 
In  others,  the  marks  are  so  broad  that  black  seems  to  be  the 
prevailing  colour,  and  that  the  title  of  White  Arches  would  be 
really  the  most  appropriate  one.     The  male  is  much  smaller 


THE   VAPOURER  MOTU. 


439 


than  the  female,  and  his  colours,  though  brighter  and  more 
compressed,  are  sufficiently  similar  to  those  of  the  female  to 
show  that  they  both  belong  to  one  species.  Moreover,  his  an- 
tennoG  are  deeply  and  doubly  feathered,  and  his  body  is  pink, 
with  three  rows  of  black  spots  on  it  over  the  middle,  and  one 
on  either  side, 

XLYR 


1.  Pygffira  bncephala. 
4.  Orgjia  antiqua,  female. 


2.  Liparis  or  Psllura  monacha.  3.  Oa'j-ia  antiqua,  male. 

a.  Pygaera  bucephala,  larva.         6.  Orgyia  antiqua,  larva. 


The  larva  is  one  of  the  many  oak-feeders,  and  the  perfect 
insect  appears  in  the  autumn.  Those  who  wish  for  good  speci- 
mens of  this  pretty  Moth  ought  to  rear  it  from  the  caterpillar, 
which  can  be  obtained  in  full  condition  towards  the  end  of 
June,  by  beating  the  oak,  the  birch,  and  one  or  two  other  trees. 

Next  comes  that  interesting  insect,  the  common  Vapoueer 
-Moth  {Orgyia  antiqua),  the  male  of  which  is  represented  on 
Woodcut  XLVII.  Fig.  3. 


440  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

This  is  rather  a  pretty  Moth,  though  the  colours  are  any- 
thing but  brilliant.  The  wings  are  warm  chestnut,  the  upper 
pair  having  some  waved  transverse  marks,  as  shown  in  the  illus- 
tration, and  a  bold,  nearly  semilunar  white  spot  at  the  anal 
angle. 

He  is  very  common,  and  is  one  of  the  few  Lepidoptera — except 
perhaps  the  Clothes-Moth,  which  is  more  plentiful  than  desired 
— that  is  very  common  in  London,  and  may  be  found  even  in 
the  dingiest  and  smokiest  portions,  provided  that  trees  or  shrubs 
grow  in  it.  I  should  think  that  if  even  Leicester  Square  could 
produce  a  tree,  it  would  also  produce  the  Yapourer  Moth.  He 
is  one  of  the  day-flying  moths,  and  seems  to  revel  in  the 
blazing  sunbeams,  flitting  about  with  rapid,  and  apparently 
uncertain  wing,  upon  the  hottest  days  of  summer. 

There  is,  however,  nothing  uncertain  about  his  flight,  for  he 
has  a  very  definite  object,  namely,  to  seek  a  mate.  Consider- 
ing the  kind  of  creature  she  is,  and  her  peculiar  habits,  one  is 
led  to  marvel,  in  the  first  place,  how  the  active,  prettily- 
coloured  male  Vapourer  can  find  anything  attractive  in  the 
female,  who  is  about  as  plain — not  to  say,  plebeian — an  insect 
as  can  well  be  imagined.  A  figure  of  the  female  is  given 
on  Woodcut  XLVII.  Fig.  4,  and  the  reader  will  see  that  a 
less  attractive  and  more  commonplace  creature  can  hardly  be 
seen.  She  has  no  wings  to  speak  of,  these  organs  being  quite 
undeveloped  and  simply  rudimentary,  so  that  she  could  not  fly 
one  single  inch.  Her  body  is  large,  thick,  soft,  and  covered 
with  grey  down,  slightly  darker  at  the  edge  of  each  segment. 

This  curious  creature  never  wanders  from  the  spot  where  she 
happens  to  have  passed  into  the  pupal  state.  Like  the  male, 
she  has,  when  a  full-fed  caterpillar,  spun  a  silken  web,  within 
which  she  has  undergone  her  transformation. 

The  male  has  done  the  same,  but  when  he  has  assumed  the 
perfect  form,  he  shakes  out  his  pretty  wings,  takes  to  the  air, 
and  gaily  sets  out,  like  '  Cselebs,'  in  search  of  a  wife.  She,  on 
the  other  hand,  never  travels  at  all.  Where  she  was  reared,  there 
she  lives,  there  she  is  mated,  there  she  provides  a  fresh  brood, 
and  there  she  dies,  fulfilling  the  duties  of  her  life  within  very 
narrow  bounds.  Her  eggs  are  laid  upon  the  silken  web  which 
she  herself  spun  as  a  caterpillar,  and  from  those  eggs  are  hatched 
a  brood  of  tiny  larvae,  each  of  which  is  intended  to  follow  ia 
the  track  of  its  parents. 


THE   OAK-EGGAR.  441 

So  plentiful  are  these  egg-groups  that,  were  it  not  for  the 
presence  of  sundry  little  birds,  which  find  much  of  their 
winter's  nourishment  in  the  eggs  of  various  Lepidoptera,  we 
should  be  soon  overrun  with  Vapourer  Moths,  and  our  trees  and 
hedges  would  suffer  sadly.  The  female  moths  themselves, 
being  utterly  unable  to  escape,  and  not  seeming  able  even  to 
crawl  beyond  the  limits  of  the  pupal  web,  also  fall  victims  to 
the  birds  in  no  small  number. 

The  caterpillar  is  shown  at  Fig.  h  of  the  same  Woodcut,  and 
is  a  very  pretty  one.  Its  colours  are  exceedingly  variable,  but 
it  is  always  furnished  with  a  brush-like  tuft  of  yellow  hairs  on 
the  back  of  the  fifth,  sixth,  seventh,  and  eighth  segments, 
two  long  black  tufts  on  the  second  segment,  directed  forwards, 
and  a  single  similar  tuft  on  the  last  segment  but  one,  directed 
backwards.  There  is  scarcely  a  tree  or  shrub  on  which  this 
strange-looking  caterpillar  will  uot  feed. 

On  Plate  XV.  Fig.  2  is  seen  the  male  Oak-eggar  Moth 
(Bombyx  or  Lasiocampa  quercus).  This  well-known  insect 
belongs  to  another  family,  the  Bombycidie,  in  which  the  cater- 
pillars are  mostly  hairy,  the  pupa  smooth,  and  the  perfect  in- 
sect large  and  stout-bodied,  and  coloured  with  various  shades 
of  browTi  or  grey.  The  smooth  pupa  at  once  distinguishes  this 
insect  from  the  last. 

Although  the  colours  of  this  insect  are  not  brilliant,  the 
Moth  is  a  very  handsome  one,  the  simple  colouring  of  its  wings 
being  well  contrasted.  The  male  has  the  wings  rich  warm 
chestnut,  and  across  each  of  them  is  drawn  a  slightly  waved 
yellowish  band.  Eather  towards  the  base  of  the  disc  there  is  a 
white  spot  very  clearly  marked.  His  antennae  are  deeply  and 
doubly  feathered.  The  female  is  much  larger,  but  not  nearly 
so  handsome,  the  colour  being  mostly  yellow  with  the  band  pale 
and  undefined. 

The  chief  interest  of  this  moth  lies  in  its  preparatory  stages. 
The  caterpillar  is  a  very  fine  one,  and  remarkable  for  its  change 
in  appearance  when  it  bends  its  body.  The  ground  colour  of 
this  larva  is  deep  velvety-black,  very  thickly  covered  with  rich 
brown  hairs.  "\Vhen  the  caterpillar  is  straight  it  appears  to  be 
uniformly  brown,  but  when  it  curves  the  body,  the  velvet-black 
appears  between  the  segments  and  gives  a  very  bold  and  eflfec- 


442  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

tive  appearance  to  the  hitherto  plain  caterpillar.  There  are 
other  marks,  but  these  velvet  rings  are  amply  sufficient  for 
identification. 

It  is  very  plentiful  in  some  places,  and  though  it  is  a  very 
general  feeder,  eating  almost  every  non-poisonous  herb  or  leaf 
that  may  be  given  to  it,  the  larva  has  fancies  of  its  own  and 
prefers  one  place  to  another,  though  apparently  both  localities 
are  exactly  alike  in  every  respect.  There  was,  for  example,  a 
portion  of  a  hedge,  about  half  a  mile  in  length,  to  which  I 
always  resorted  when  in  want  of  an  Oak-eggar  caterpillar.  I 
generally  used  the  sweep-net  for  this  purpose,  passing  it  very 
gently  through  the  herbage,  and  was  sure  to  be  rewarded  with 
success. 

This  caterpillar,  especially  when  nearly  full-grown,  is  a 
troublesome  being  in  a  collecting-box,  and  I  do  not  know  of 
any  which  has  a  more  unpleasant  knack  of  pushing  its  way 
out  of  the  box  whenever  the  lid  is  removed  for  the  admission 
of  a  new  inmate.  In  fact,  unless  the  collector  should  be  pro- 
vided with  a  box  such  as  has  been  described  on  page  420,  he 
will  find  that  the  Oak-eggar  caterpillars  are  greatly  trying 
to  the  temper,  and  may  perchance  get  themselves  crushed  while 
trying  to  make  their  escape. 

When  full-fed,  the  caterpillar  spins  a  cocoon  of  wonderful 
toughness  and  strength.  It  is  shaped  very  much  like  an  egg 
(whence  the  popular  name  of  Oak-eggar),  and  is  brown  and  very 
close  in  textm-e.  About  the  end  of  summer  or  beginning  of 
autumn,  the  Moth  breaks  its  way  through  the  cocoon  and  ap- 
pears in  the  perfect  state.  It  mostly  flies  at  night,  but  I  have 
seen  it  on  the  wing  at  mid-day. 

On  Woodcut  XLVI.  Fig.  3  is  seen  the  well-known  Lappet 
Moth  {Gastropacha  or  Lasiocampa  quercifolid).  This  curious 
insect  derives  its  popular  and  scientific  names  from  two  totally 
different  attributes.  The  name  quercifolia,  or  *  oak-leaf,'  is 
given  to  it  on  account  of  the  astonishing  resemblance  which 
it  bears,  when  its  wings  are  closed,  to  a  brown  withered  oak- 
leaf. 

On  reference  to  the  illustration,  the  reader  will  see  that  the 
edges  of  the  wings  are  deeply  scalloped,  just  as  are  those  of  the 
oak-leaf.     The  colour  of  the  Moth  is  warm   chestnut-brown, 


THE   LAPPET   MOTH.  443 

ixnd  on  the  upper  wings  are  three  dark  bands,  scalloped  in  con- 
Ibrmity  with  the  margins.  There  is  also  a  black  dot  on  the 
middle  of  the  wing.  The  lower  wings  are  marked  somewhat 
ill  the  same  manner,  save  that  the  dark  bands  are  less  defined. 
There  is  no  diiFerence  in  colour  between  the  sexes,  which  can, 
however,  be  at  once  distinguished  by  a  glance  at  the  antennae, 
which  are  doubly  feathered  in  the  male  and  thread-like  in  the 
female.  For  a  short  time  after  it  escapes  from  the  pupal  en- 
velope, the  surface  of  the  Moth  is  remarkable  for  a  beautiful 
blue  or  purple  gloss,  which  has  been  well  compared  to  the 
bloom  on  a  plum.  It  is  quite  as  fragile  as  that  bloom,  and 
even  more  fugitive,  for  it  vanishes  in  a  few  hours,  no  matter 
what  care  may  be  taken  of  the  specimen. 

Whether  this  union  of  colouring  and  outline  be  intended 
for  the  purpose  of  concealment  is  at  present  an  open  question 
and  likely  to  continue  so.  Suffice  it  to  say  that  it  certainly  does 
serve  that  purpose  very  effectually.  The  reader  must  have  ob- 
served that  the  oak-tree,  late  to  develope  new  leaves,  is  equally 
late  in  parting  with  the  old  foliage,  the  old  leaves  clinging 
tightly  to  the  branches  until  actually  pushed  off  by  the  new 
generation.  Now,  if  two  oak-twigs  were  put  side  by  side,  on 
one  of  which  were  two  or  three  withered  oak-leaves,  and  on 
the  other  a  leaf  and  a  Lappet  Moth,  it  would  be  almost  im- 
possible to  distinguish  the  animal  from  the  vegetable,  except 
by  close  examination. 

So  much  for  the  name  of  quercifolia,  and  we  come  to  the  term 
Lappet.  This  name  is  given  to  the  insect  on  account  of  the 
construction  of  the  caterpillar,  which  grows  to  a  considerable 
size,  and  is  easily  recognisable.  Along  each  side  is  a  row  of 
fleshy  appendages,  or  '  lappets,'  those  of  the  second,  third,  and 
fourth  segments  being  the  largest.  The  colom*  of  the  larva  is 
variable,  but  it  may  always  be  known  by  the  peculiar  lappets, 
the  hump  on  the  twelfth  segment,  and  the  two  stripes  of  deep 
velvety-purple  between  the  second  and  third,  and  third  and 
fourth  segments.  Willow  and  blackthorn  are  its  favourite 
food. 

One  of  these  larvae  is  shown  on  Woodcut  XLVI.  Fig.  c, 
as  it  appears  when  almost  half-grown. 

When  full-fed  it  spins  for  itself  a  rather  large  cocoon,  looser 
in  texture  and  darker  in  colour  than  the  firm,  egg-like  habita- 


444  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

tion  of  the  preceding  insect.  The  pupa  is  blacker  than  that 
of  the  Oak-eggar.  The  perfect  insect  appears  about  the  be- 
ginning of  summer.  Large  and  strong  as  this  Moth  appears 
to  be,  the  plumage  is  in  reality  exceedingly  delicate,  and  sure 
to  be  rubbed  and  damaged  if  the  insect  be  caught  in  a  net. 
Eearing  it  from  the  caterpillar,  or  pupa — the  latter  plan  gene- 
rally producing  the  finest  specimens — will  generally  ensure 
perfect  insects,  one  of  which  should  be  carefully  set  as  it 
appears  when  at  rest. 

Our  last  example  of  the  Nocturni  is  the  beautiful  Emperor 
Moth  [Saturnia  Carpini  or  pavonia-minor),  the  female  of 
which  is  represented  on  Plate  XV.  Fig.  3.  The  general  ap- 
pearance of  both  sexes  is  very  similar,  except  that  the  colours 
of  the  male  are  much  more  brilliant  than  those  of  the  female. 
As  she  is  figured  in  the  Plate,  we  will  describe  her  first.  The 
colour  and  markings  are  so  conspicuous  that  there  is  no  neces- 
sity for  very  minute  detail.  The  wings  are  pearly-grey,  mottled 
and  striped  with  brown,  dark-grey,  and  chestnut.  On  each  of 
the  wings  there  is  an  eye-like  spot,  black  in  the  middle,  and 
surrounded  with  consecutive  rings  of  warm  buff  and  black, 
variegated  with  dark-crimson  and  violet. 

The  male  has  the  upper  wings  of  deeper  and  richer  hues 
than  those  of  his  mate,  and  the  under  wings  are  warm  ochreous 
orange,  mottled  and  striped  as  in  the  female.  The  eye-like 
spots  are  similar  in  both  sexes.  The  male  is  also  distinguished 
by  the  antennae,  which  are  shorter  than  those  of  the  female, 
and  have  a  beautiful  double  feathering,  widest  in  the  middle, 
and  decreasing  towards  the  base  and  tip,  so  as  to  give  the 
whole  organ  an  outline  much  resembling  that  of  the  laurel 
leaf. 

The  caterpillar  is  quite  as  conspicuous  as  the  perfect  insect. 
It  is  beautiful  leafy-green  in  colour,  and  the  segments  are 
marked  so  very  distinctly  that  they  look  as  if  a  number  of 
threads  had  been  tied  tightly  round  the  insect  at  the  junctures 
of  the  segments.  On  each  segment  are  a  number  of  pink 
tubercles,  each  tubercle  bearing  a  small  brush  of  black  bristles, 
and  being  surrounded  with  a  ring  of  black.  It  feeds  on  a 
variety  of  plants,  but  I  have  found  it  more  frequently  on 
heath  than  on  any  other  plant. 


PLATE    XV. 
NIGHT     FLIERS. 


1.  Chelonia  caja. 

2.  Lasiocampa  quercus. 
y.  Sarurnia  carpini. 

4.  Dicranura  vinula. 

Plaints: — 

Oak  and  Willow. 


THE  EMPEEOE  MOTH.  445 

When  it  is  full-fed,  the  larva  spins  a  light-brown  cocoon 
among  its  food,  and  the  perfect  insect  appears  in  the  middle  of 
spring. 

This  cocoon  is  one  of  the  most  remarkable  and  interesting 
of  insect  habitations.  Externally  it  is  a  simple  brown,  oval 
structure,  more  pointed  at  one  end  than  the  other,  and  having 
an  outline  much  resembling  that  of  a  balloon.  If  it  be  care- 
fully opened,  and  cut  in  two  longitudinally,  a  most  remarkable 
structure  is  seen.  The  smaller  and  pointed  end  is  double,  and 
within  the  outer  case  is  a  ring  of  short  and  stiff  threads,  look- 
ing much  like  bristles,  their  free  ends  directed  towards  the 
mouth  of  the  cocoon,  which  is  allowed  to  remain  open.  As 
these  bristle-like  threads  follow  the  curve  of  the  wall  of  the 
cocoon,  it  is  evident  that  their  ends  must  converge  so  as  to 
close  the  opening  against  the  entry  of  any  insect  foe,  while 
they  yield  to  the  pressure  of  any  creature  within. 

In  consequence  of  this  arrangement,  the  pupa  remains 
securely  shut  up  in  its  habitation,  and,  when  the  time  comes 
for  its  assumption  of  the  perfect  state,  the  newly  developed 
Moth  creeps  easily  out  of  the  cocoon,  the  guardian  threads  of 
which  yield  to  its  passage,  and  then  close  again,  so  that  to  all 
appearance,  the  cocoon  looks  just  as  it  did  when  it  contained 
the  chrysalis.  As  the  caterpillar  is  a  tolerably  hardy  one, 
there  is  no  difficulty  in  obtaining  the  beautiful  cocoons. 


CHAPTER   III. 

GEOMETRJS. 

The  large  and  important  group  of  Gteomete^,  or  Loopees,  now 
come  before  us.  These  appropriate  terms  are  applied  to  the 
Moths  on  account  of  the  mode  of  progression  adopted  by  the 
larva.  The  caterpillars  are  so  constructed  that  they  cannot 
walk  after  the  usual  fashion  of  such  beings.  The  reader  will 
remember  that  the  caterpillars  hitherto  mentioned  have  a 
number  of  false  legs,  or  claspers  arranged  on  the  under  side  of 
the  body,  in  addition  to  the  six  true  legs  which  are  situated 
on  that  part  of  the  body  which  will  afterwards  become  the 
thorax  of  the  perfect  insect.  Most  caterpillars  have  five  pairs 
of  these  claspers,  but  the  Greometra  larvae  have  only  two  pairs, 
which  are  set  closely  together  at  the  very  end  of  the  body. 
The  caterpillar  is  therefore  obliged  to  adopt  a  peculiar  mode 
of  progression. 

When  it  wishes  to  move,  it  clings  very  firmly  with  its  true 
legs,  loosens  the  grasp  of  its  claspers,  and  draws  them  close  to 
the  legs,  so  that  its  body  is  brought  into  an  arch  or  loop. 
The  claspers  then  fix  themselves  tightly  to  the  object  on  which 
the  caterpillar  is  moving,  and  the  body  is  stretched  out  in 
order  to  find  a  fresh  foothold  for  the  legs.  Thus,  the  cater- 
pillar proceeds  by  bringing  its  body  into  the  loop-like  form 
and  stretching  it  out  for  another  hold.  This  may  seem  an 
awkward  mode  of  progression,  but  it  is  nothing  of  the  kind. 
There  is  even  a  sort  of  grace  about  the  movement,  and  the 
caterpillar  gets  along  at  a  wonderful  pace,  forming  its  succes- 
sive loops  with  a  rapidity  that  seems  almost  incredible. 

The  muscular  strength  of  these  caterpillars  is  wonderful. 
Most  of  us  have  seen  acrobats  fix  their  feet  to  an  upright  pole, 
or  grasp  it  with  their  hands,  and  stretch  out  their  bodies 
horizontally.     This    attitude    requires  great  muscular  powers 


THE  SWALLOW-TAILED   MOTH.  447 

very  carefully  applied,  as  those  readers  well  know  who  have 
practically  studied  gymnastics.  The  leverage  is  so  great  that 
the  strongest  and  most  accomplished  gymnast  cannot  maintain 
his  position  for  any  length  of  time,  the  attitude  requiring  the 
strongest  possible  strain  on  the  muscles.  Yet  this  attitude  is 
not  only  easy  to  the  Geometrse,  but  appears  in  some  cases  to 
be  the  chosen  attitude  of  rest. 

Several  of  these  larvae  pass  a  large  portion  of  their  time 
stretched  out  at  full  length  from  the  twig  on  which  they  are 
clinging.  In  this  attitude  they  so  exactly  resemble  twigs,  that 
the  sharpest  eye  can  scarcely  detect  them,  and  even  the  most 
experienced  entomologists  are  often  deceived,  taking  veritable 
twigs  for  caterpillars,  and  caterpillars  for  twigs.  None  of  the 
caterpillars  are  hairy,  and  their  smooth  bodies,  often  furnished 
with  blunt  spikes  or  humps,  bear  the  most  curious  resemblance 
to  the  smooth-barked,  bud-bearing  twigs  of  the  trees  on  which 
they  live.  Such  caterpillars  can  be  at  once  recognised  as 
belonging  to  the  Greometrse,  and  every  entomologist  knows  that 
if  he  should  find  a  looping  caterpillar,  and  rear  if,  the  result 
will  certainly  be  a  Greometra  Moth  of  some  kind. 

In  the  perfect  state  it  is  not  so  easy  to  distinguish  the 
Geometrop,  though  there  is  a  certain  and  almost  indescribable 
aspect  about  them  that  a  practised  entomologist  rarely  fails  to 
detect,  even  though  the  species  be  new  to  him.  We  will  now 
proceed  to  examine  some  of  the  most  characteristic  of  these 
Moths  in  detail. 

The  first  family  of  the  Geometrae  is  called  Urapterydge,  or 
"Wing-tail  Moths,  because  in  them  the  hinder  wings  are  drawn 
out  into  long  projections,  popularly  called  '  tails.'  In  England 
we  have  but  one  insect  belonging  to  this  family,  the  beautiful, 
though  pale-coloured.  Swallow-tailed  Moth  (  Urapteryx  sam- 
hucata).  The  •  generic  name  is  spelt  in  various  ways,  some 
writers  wishing  exactly  to  represent  the  Greek  letters  of  which 
it  is  composed,  and  others  following  the  conventional  form 
which  is  generally  in  use.  If  the  precisians  are  to  be  followed, 
the  word  ought  to  be  spelled  Ourapteryx. 

There  is  no  difficulty  in  recognising  this  Moth,  the  colour 
and  shape  being  so  decided.  Both  pairs  of  wings  are  delicate 
yellow,  and  the  upper  pair  are  crossed  by  two  narrow  brown 


448  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

stripes,  which  run  from  the  upper  to  the  lower  margin.  '  These 
stripes  are  very  clear  and  well-defined,  but  besides  there  are  a 
vast  number  of  very  tiny  streaks  of  a  similar  colour,  which 
look  as  if  they  had  been  drawn  in  water-colours  with  the  very 
finest  of  brushes,  and  then  damped  so  as  to  blur  their  edges. 
The  hind  wings  have  only  one  streak,  which  runs  obliquely 
towards  the  anal  angle,  and,  when  the  wings  are  spread,  looks 
as  if  it  were  a  continuation  of  the  first  stripe  on  the  upper 
wings.  The  shape  of  the  Moth  almost  exactly  resembles  that 
of  the  Brimstone  Butterfly,  described  on  page  393. 

The  larva  affords  an  admirable  example  of  the  twig-resem- 
bling caterpillars.  It  is  exceedingly  variable  in  colour,  but  is 
always  some  shade  of  brown.  It  has  seven  bud-like  humps, 
and  a  few  pale  stripes  along  the  sides.  It  is  a  very  general 
feeder,  and  may  be  found  on  a  considerable  number  of  trees 
and  plants.  It  is  quite  common,  and  but  for  its  curious 
form  would  certainly  be  found  much  more  frequently  than  is' 
the  case.  The  perfect  insect  appears  about  July,  and  can  be 
beaten  out  of  bushes  and  hedges.  Though  the  wings  are  large, 
they  are  thin  and  not  very  powerful,  so  that  there  is  no  diffi- 
culty in  capturing  the  insect. 

Next  comes  the  family  of  the  Ennomidse,  popularly  called 
the  Thorns,  containing  nearly  thirty  species,  two  of  which  we 
will  select  for  examination.  In  this  family  the  hind  wings 
are  not  ta,iled.  Our  first  example  is  the  Brimstone  Moth 
{Rumia  cratcegata),  which  is  shown  on  Woodcut  XL VIII. 
Fig.  3. 

This  very  plentiful  Moth  is  of  a  bright  sulphur  yellow,  with 
a  few  irregular  streaks,  and  several  ruddy  chestnut  spots  on  the 
edge  of  the  upper  wings. 

The  caterpillar  has  three  humps,  and  possesses  four  pairs  of 
claspers  instead  of  two.  The  first  and  second  pairs  are,  how- 
ever, not  used  for  progression.  This  larva  is  shown  at  Fig.  6, 
and  gives  a  good  idea  of  the  general  aspect  of  a  Greometra 
larva  when  the  body  is,  stretched  out  at  full  length.  It  feeds 
both  on  the  blackthorn  and  whitethorn,  and  when  full-fed 
spins  a  thick  cocoon  close  to  the  ground,  and  sometimes  on  it. 
The  Moth  may  be  found  throughout  the  summer,  as  may  the 
caterpillar. 


THE   OAK   BEAUTY. 


449 


Our  next  example  is  the  Oak  Beauty  {Amphydasis  pro- 
dromaria),  which  is  sliown  on  Woodcut  XLIX.  Fig.  1. 

Although  the  colours  of  this  insect  are  nothing  but  various 
shades  of  black,  grey,  and  white,  it  is  a  very  pretty  Moth. 
The  ground  colour  of  the  wings  is  greyish-white,  and  across 
the  upper  pair  are  drawn  two  irregular  broad  bands  of  a  rich 
brown  colour,  edged  with  black.     The  dots  and  speckles  which 

XLVIII 


1.  Gonepteryx  libatrix.  2.  Catocala  nupta.  3.  Hamia  cratfegata. 

a.  Gonepteryx,  larva.  b.  Rumia  cratsegata,  larva. 

are  so  profusely  scattered  over  the  wings  are  also  black.  The 
back  of  the  thorax  is  brown,  the  sides  grey,  and  the  head 
white.  The  antennae  of  the  female  are  thread-like,  and  those 
of  the  male  are  feathered.  The  caterpillar  feeds  on  the  oak 
and  birch,  and  the  Moth  is  developed  in  the  spring.  This 
caterpillar  is  shown  on  the  same  Woodcut,  Fig.  a,  as  it  appears 
when  full-fed.  Its  colour  is  brown,  mottled  with  white,  and 
the  little  projections  on  the  back  are  reddish. 

G  G 


4.50  INSECTS   AT   HOME, 

On  Plate  XVI.  Fig.  4,  is  shown  one  of  the  prettiest  of  the 
Geometrse,  the  Large  Emerald  {Geometra  papilionaria),  be- 
longing to  the  family  of  the  Greometridse. 

There  is  little  need  to  describe  the  colouring  of  this  beauti- 
ful Moth,  further  than  to  say  that  the  wings  are  rather  pale 
leaf-green,  and  the  scalloped  markings  and  dots  are  white. 
The  head  and  thorax  are  green,  and  the  body  is  greyish-white. 
The  sexes  can  be  distinguished  by  the  antennae,  those  of  the 
male  being  feathered,  and  those  of  the  female,  as  shown  in  the 
illustration,  simple  and  thread-like.  Both  the  antennae  and 
the  fore  legs  are  whitish.  The  name  papilionaria  is  given  to 
it  because  it  has  a  sort  of  butterfly  appearance  about  it. 
This  is  a  tolerably  common  Moth,  and  is  mostly  found  in  woods 
and  copses,  where  it  can  be  taken  by  beating  the  bushes.  The 
caterpillar  is  green,  like  the  perfect  insect,  and  has  many 
humps.  It  feeds  chiefly  on  the  hazel,  but  may  be  found  on 
other  trees. 

Passing,  of  necessity,  over  many  of  the  Geometras,  we  come 
to  -that  very  familiar  insect,  the  Currant  Moth  {Abraxas 
grossulariata),  which  is  shown  on  Plate  XVI,  Fig.  5.  In  con- 
sequence of  its  boldly  contrasted  markings,  it  is  sometimes 
called  the  Magpie  Moth. 

This  is  invariably  one  of  the  first  Moths  of  the  young 
collector's  cabinet,  and  its  larva  is  perhaps  the  best  known  of 
the  Geometrse. 

The  colour  of  the  wings  is  white,  with  a  yellow  patch  at  the 
base  of  the  upper  wings,  and  a  rather  curved  band  of  a  similar 
colour  rather  beyond  the  middle.  Upon  both  wings  are  a 
number  of  deep  black  spots  and  blotches,  varying  greatly  in 
different  specimens.  Sometimes  the  black  spots  are  so  large 
that  they  unite  with  each  other,  and  make  the  Moth  look  as  if 
it  were  black  and  yellow.  Sometimes  the  reverse  takes  place, 
and  the  insect  is  almost  entirely  white  and  yellow,  with  a 
few  pale  and  uncerta'in  markings  of  a  darker  colour,  while  in 
many  specimens  there  is  a  decided  preponderance  either  of  the 
light  or  the  dark  portions  of  the  wings.  The  antennae  of  the 
female  are  thread-like,  and  those  of  the  male  very  slightly, 
but  decidedly,  feathered.    . 

This  Moth  is  one  of  the  partial  day-fliers,  and  may  be  cap- 
tured in  any  numbers  in  gardens  where  the  gooseberry  or  black- 


THE   MAGPIE   MOTH. 


451 


currant  is  grown.  The  insect  is  a  very  bold  one,  and  while  it 
is  engaged  in  depositing  its  eggs,  may  be  picked  up  with  the 
fingers  without  much  difficulty. 

The  larva,  which  is  represented  on  Plate  XVI.  Fig.  6,  is 
coloured  very  mucii  like  tlie  perfect  insect.  Being  so  common, 
I  have  been  accustomed  to  watch  it  from  childhood,  and  have 
much  to  say  on  the  subject.     But  Mr.  Newman  has  so  com- 

XLIX 


1.  Amph3-dasis  prodromaria. 
a.  Biston,  larva. 


2.  Scofliona  bclgiaria.  3.  Hibemia  defoliaria. 

6.  Hibernia,  female.         c.  Hibemia,  larva. 


pletely  made  it  his  own  that  I  can  do  no  better  than  give  his 
own  spirited  words : — 

'  I  have  seen  the  females  of  this  species  busily  engaged  in 
oviposition,  not  only  in  the  evening,  but  in  the  middle  of  a 
warm  summer's-day,  depositing  a  single  egg  on  a  leaf  of  goose- 
berry or  black-currant,  and  then  flying  off  to  another.  I  once 
watched  ten  females  simultaneously  occupied  in  this  manner 
along  a  garden  wall  less  than  eighty  yards  in  length. 

*  Like  the  eggs  of  most  diurnal  Lepidoptera,  they  remain  but 

G  o  2 


452  INSECTS  AT   HOlVtE. 

a  short  time  before  hatching.  The  young  caterpillar  feeds  for 
two,  three,  or  four  weeks,  rarely  longer,  and  then  spins  to- 
gether the  edges  of  a  gooseberry  leaf,  having  first  taken  the 
precaution  of  making  the  leaf  fast  to  its  twig  by  numerous 
silken  cables,  which  prevent  the  possibility  of  its  falling  when 
dehiscence  takes  place  in  the  autumn.  In  the  little  cradle 
thus  fabricated  the  infant  caterpillar  sleeps  as  securely  as  the 
sailor  in  his  hammock.  Snow-storms  and  wintry  winds  are 
matters  of  indifference  to  him,  but  no  sooner  have  the  goose- 
berry bushes  begun  to  assume  their  livery  of  green  in  the 
spring,  than  instinct  informs  him  that  food  is  preparing  to 
satisfy  his  appetite,  so  he  cuts  an  opening  in  his  pensile 
cradle,  emerges,  and  begins  to  eat. 

'  The  full-fed  caterpillar  commonly  rests  in  a  straight  pos- 
ture, lying  parallel  with  the  branch ;  but  when  annoyed,  he 
elevates  his  back,  and  tucks  in  his  head  until  it  is  brought 
into  contact  with  the  abdominal  claspers.  If  the  annoyance 
be  continued,  he  drops  from  his  food,  hanging  by  a  thread,  and 
rarely  falling  to  the  ground  ;  but  when  this  is  the  case,  he  is 
bent  double,  and  remains  a  long  time  in  that  posture.' 

In  spite  of  the  very  conspicuous  colouring  of  this  caterpillar, 
it  is  not  eaten  by  birds,  seeming  to  be  distasteful  to  them.  It 
is  also  distasteful  to  toads.  If  one  of  these  larvae  be  placed 
before  a  toad,  it  will  be  snapped  up  as  soon  as  it  moves,  but 
will  at  once  be  rejected,  the  toad  moving  off  as  if  disgusted 
with  a  creature  on  which  it  hoped  to  feed.  The  coloiu'  of  this 
larva  is  creamy  white,  spotted  and  striped  with  orange,  and 
having  a  number  of  bold  black  spots  and  stripes,  as  seen  in  the 
illustration. 

The  pupa  is  smooth  and  black,  with  a  slight  tinge  of  red, 
banded  with  yellow,  so  that  the  caterpillar,  the  pupa,  and  the 
perfect  insect  have  all  the  same  colouring.  The  Moth  appears 
in  the  middle  of  summer. 

The  family  of  the  Hybernidse  is  represented  by  the  Mottled 
Umber  Moth  {Hibernia  defoliaria),  the  male  of  which  is  shown 
on  Woodcut  XLIX.  Fig.  3. 

The  colour  of  the  upper  wings  is  very  pale  brown,  across  which 
are  drawn  two  bold  brown  bands,  as  seen  in  the  illustration.  The 
under  wings  are  paler  brown  than  the  upper,  and  are  sprinkled 


PLATE    XVI. 
GEOMETERS    AND    NOCTU/E. 


1.  Agrotis  segetum. 

2.  Agrotis  larva. 

3.  Xanthia  flavago. 

4.  Geometra  papilionaria. 
6.  Abraxas  grossulariata. 

6.  Abraxas  grossulariata,  larva. 

Plants  : — 

Currant  and  Strawberry. 


SILK  SPINNING,  453 

with  very  tiny  black  dots.  It  is  an  exceedingly  variable 
insect,  and  there  is  one  variety  which  now  and  then  occurs  in 
which  the  brown  bands  are  absent  and  the  whole  of  the  wings 
is  covered  with  the  little  black  dots.  There  is  no  difficulty 
in  distinguishing  the  female  from  the  male,  as  may  be  seen 
by  referring  to  Fig.  b  in  the  same  Woodcut.  The  wings 
are  reduced  to  the  merest  rudiments,  and  are  not  only  useless 
for  flight,  but  absolutely  useless  for  any  purpose  whatever. 
Like  those  of  the  ostrich  and  emeu,  they  are  inefficient  as 
wings.  But  the  two  birds  which  have  been  mentioned  are 
exceedingly  swift  of  foot,  and  the  wings,  though  they  are 
not  used  for  flight,  do  at  least  assist  them  in  running.  But 
the  female  Mottled  Umber  is  by  no  means  swift  of  foot,  and 
indeed  a  distance  of  six  inches  is  quite  a  journey  to  her.  The 
body  of  the  female  is  warm  brown  in  colour,  and  on  each  seg- 
ment are  two  conspicuous  black  spots.  This  larva  is  shown  at 
Fig.  c  in  the  same  Woodcut. 

The  larva  is  one  of  those  which  are  furnished  with  a  spinning 
apparatus,  and  use  it  for  defensive  purposes. 

I  may  here  remark  that,  in  all  silk-spinning  caterpillars,  the 
machinery  is  the  same,  though  the  length,  quantity,  and 
quality  of  the  silk  differ  greatly.  Along  each  side  of  the  body, 
and  closely  pressed  against  the  digestive  organs,  grows  the 
silk-vessel.  This  is  a  tube  of  greater  or  less  capacity  according 
to  the  needs  of  the  insect,  in  which  is  secreted  the  peculiar 
substance  which  is  known  as  silk.  Each  of  these  tubes  ends  in 
a  very  slender  outlet,  scarcely  as  thick  as  a  human  hair,  and 
the  two  outlets  unite  in  an  instrument  which  very  much 
resembles  the  barrels  of  a  double-barrelled  pistol.  Through 
these  tubes  or  barrels  the  gummy  secretion  is  forced,  and 
hardens  as  soon  as  it  comes  in  contact  with  the  atmosphere. 

Those  larvae  in  which  the  supply  of  this  secretion  is  small 
are  very  chary  of  it,  and  only  use  it  for  the  purpose  of  spin- 
ning the  cocoon  or  hammock  in  which  the  caterpillar  changes  to 
the  pupal  and  perfect  states.  Those,  however,  in  which  the 
supply  is  niore  abundant  employ  it  in  various  ways,  and  are 
often  indebted  to  it  for  their  escape  from  many  foes.  What- 
ever they  may  be  doing,  or  wherever  they  may  move,  they 
always  draw  with  them  their  silken  thread,  one  end  of  which  is 
attached  to  the  leaf  or  branch  on  which  they  are  walking,  so 


454  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

that,  like  Goldsmith's  Traveller,  they  '  drag  at  each  remove  a 
lengthening  chain.'  If  they  be  alarmed  in  any  way,  they  at 
once  drop  towards  the  ground,  supported  by  their  thread. 
Grenerally,  they  drop  only  a  few  inches  ;  but  if  the  alarm 
continue,  they  drop  more  and  more,  until  they  reach  the 
ground,  where  they  lie  until  they  are  assured  of  safety.  They 
climb  up  again  rather  slowly,  but  steadily,  using  their  legs  for 
the  purpose,  and  packing  up  the  line  into  a  series  of  loops  as 
they  proceed. 

On  "Woodcut  XLIX.  Fig.  2,  is  drawn  the  Moth  which  is  pro- 
perly called  the  Gtret  Scalloped  Bar  (^Scodiona  belgiaria), 
which  is  an  example  of  the  family  Fidonidae. 

In  this  insect  there  is  a  very  marked  distinction  between  the 
sexes.  In  the  male,  the  upper  wings  are  greyish-white,  and 
covered  with  a  number  of  black  marks,  whose  shape  and 
number  can  be  seen  by  reference  to  the  illustration.  The 
female  is  blackish-grey  instead  of  white,  but  the  black  mark- 
ings are  nearly  the  same.  In  the  male  the  antennae  are 
feathered,  and  in  the  female  they  are  simple  and  thread-like. 

The  larva  of  this  Moth  feeds  on  the  common  ling  {Colluna 
vulgaris),  which  is  so  much  used  for  thatching,  for  rude  but 
strong  ropes,  for  broom  making,  and  for  a  good  yellow  dye. 
Like  many  other  larvae,  if  alarmed,  it  falls  at  once  to  the 
ground,  coils  itself  in  a  ring,  and  will  lie  motionless  for  hours 
together.  Its  colour  is  dull-brown,  with  a  few  grey  mottlings, 
and  one  or  two  small  streaks  of  white.  It  is  full-fed  at  the 
beginning  of  May,  and  the  perfect  insect  appears  at  the  end  of 
the  same  month. 

Quiet  and  simple-looking  as  is  the  Winter  Moth  {Cheima- 
tobia  brumata),  which  is  represented  on  Woodcut  L.  Fig.  1, 
there  are  few  of  our  British  insects  which  do  more  harm  to  the 
trees,  especially  the  fruit-trees. 

The  colour  of  the  upper  wings  is  greyish-brown,  more  or  less 
tinged  with  yellow,  and  marked  with  a  few  waved  transverse 
bars  of  a  darker  tint.  The  lower  wings  are  much  the  same 
colour,  but  almost  without  markings.  Owing  to  its  peculiar 
habits,  this  is  one  of  our  most  famiUar  Moths.  It  appears  in 
the  cold  months  of  November  and  December,  and  on  a  sunshiny 


THE  WINTER  MOTH. 


455 


day  may  be  seen  flitting  along  the  hedges  in  perfect  content, 
even  though  the  ground  be  thickly  covered  with  snow. 

The  female,  though  really  the  more  important  of  the  two,  is 
seldom  noticed.  Her  wings  are  mere  rudiments,  and  she  is 
unable  to  fly.  She  only  appears  at  night,  when  she  crawls  up 
the  stems  of  trees  for  the  purpose  of  depositing  her  eggs  upon 
them.  AVhen  the  little  caterpillars  are  hatched,  they  make 
their  way  to  the  unopened  buds,  and  bui'row  into  them,  thus 


1.  Cheimatobia  brumata.  2.  Oporabia  dilatata.  3.  Melanippe  hastata. 

4.  Melanippe  montana.  5.  Melanthia  albicillata. 


at  the  same  time  concealing  themselves  from  sight,  and  doing 
all  the  harm  of  which  so  tiny  a  creature  is  capable.  It  is  in 
search  of  these  caterpillars  that  the  small  birds,  more*  espe 
cially  the  bullfinch  and  chaffinch,  pick  off  and  devour  the 
buds  of  fruit-trees.  It  is  true  that  they  do  not  restrict  them- 
selves to  those  buds  which  contain  caterpillars,  but  that  they 
act  rather  at  random,  picking  oflf  a  bud  first,  and  afterwards 


456  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

looking  to  see  whether  or  not  it  contains  a  caterpillar.  Still, 
the  good  that  they  do  very  much  counterbalances  the  harm, 
and  the  little  birds  should  be  allowed  to  have  their  own  way 
with  the  fruit-trees.  The  late  Mr.  Waterton  would  never  allow 
a  single  little  bird  ever  to  be  scared  from  his  trees,  much  less 
killed,  and  I  never  saw  anywhere  better  prospects  of  heavy 
crops. 

Various  plans  have  been  tried  to  exterminate  these  mis- 
chievous caterpillars.  Being  silk-spinners,  they  lower  them- 
selves by  their  threads  when  alarmed,  and,  by  taking  advan- 
tage of  this  habit,  the  gardener  can  kill  great  numbers  of  the 
larvae  by  simply  tapping  the  boughs  so  as  to  frighten  the 
caterpillars  from  their  food.  But  '  prevention  is  better  than 
cure,'  and,  on  account  of  the  structure  and  habits  of  the 
female,  she  can  generally  be  prevented  from  depositing  her 
eggs.  Had  she  wings,  nothing  could  be  done ;  but  as  she  is 
wingless,  and  is  forced  to  climb  up  the  trunks  of  trees  before 
she  can  lay  her  eggs,  it  is  mostly  possible  to  prevent  her  from 
doing  so.  If  the  trunks  of  the  trees  be  kept  smeared  with  a 
sticky  compound,  renewed  as  soon  as  it  begins  to  harden,  vast 
numbers  of  the  female  can  be  interrupted  in  their  march  up 
the  tree,  and  detained  until  they  are  slaughtered  by  the 
gardener. 

Then,  at  night,  the  gardener  should  examine  the  trunks  of 
all  trees  by  the  aid  of  a  lantern,  and  he  will  be  sure  to  find  a 
number  of  female  Winter  Moths,  each  desirous  of  depositing 
her  stock  of  two  hundred  eggs.  I  should  fancy  that  birdlime 
might  be  useful.  A  mixture  of  Stockholm  tar  and  cart-grease 
has  been  recommended;  but  if  I  had  any  standard  fruit- 
trees,  especially  plums,  greengages,  or  filberts,  I  should  try  the 
efficacy  of  bird-lime.  In  this  part  of  the  country,  where 
cherry  orchards  abound,  the  fruit-growers  paint  the  trunks  of 
the  trees  with  whitewash  mixed  with  weak  size.  This  process 
may  or  may  not  be  efficacious,  but  there  is  no  doubt  that  it  is 
very  unsightly,  making  the  otherwise  beautiful  cherry-orchard 
an  absolute  eyesore. 

When  the  caterpillar  has  become  too  large  to  be  contained 
within  the  bud,  it  turns  its  attention  to  the  young  leaves, 
fixing  its  silken  threads  to  their  edges,  and  drawing  two  or 
three  together,  so  as  to  form  a  sort  of  tent,  in  which  it  lives. 


THE  ARGENT  AND  SABLE  MOTH.  457 

It  is  not  at  all  particular  as  to  the  tree  on  which  it  feeds, 
and,  although  it  certainly  prefers  fruit-trees,  may  be  found  on 
almost  every  tree  which  is  grown  in  England.  The  caterpillar 
is  full-fed  about  May,  and  then  descends  to  the  ground,  in 
which  it  burrows  to  a  very  little  depth,  and  there  changes  to  a 
pupa. 

Closely  allied  to  the  Winter  Moth  is  the  November  Moth 
(Oporabia  dilatata),  which  is  shown  on  Woodcut  L.  Fig.  2. 

It  is  a  prettier  insect  than  the  preceding,  and  exceedingly 
variable  in  its  markings,  so  that  different  names  have  been 
given  to  the  most  common  variations,  no  less  than  seven  such 
names  having  all  been  referred  to  this  single  species.  The 
ground  colour  of  the  wings  is  mostly  blackish-grey,  and  the 
waved  lines  which  cross  them  are  blackish-brown,  the  lower 
wings  being  paler  than  the  upper  pair.  This  Moth  is  very 
common,  and  may  be  found  in  the  month  from  which  it  takes 
its  popular  name.  The  caterpillar,  like  that  of  the  Winter 
Moth,  is  a  general  feeder,  and  can  be  found  on  almost  any  tree. 
It  is  full-fed  somewhere  about  midsummer.  Its  general  colour 
is  velvety  green  with  a  white  stripe  behind  the  spiracles,  and 
it  is  often  marked  with  purple,  especially  towards  the  end  of 
the  body. 

On  Woodcut  L.  Fig.  5,  is  shown  the  Beautiful  Carpet 
(Melanthia  albicillata). 

This  is  a  singularly  beautiful  insect,  the  colours,  though  not 
brilliant,  being  arranged  and  contrasted  in  a  most  charming 
manner.  The  upper  wings  are  cream-white,  and  on  each  of 
them  are  two  rich  brown  patches,  one  at  the  base  and  another 
on  the  costal  margin  near  the  tip.  The  hind  margin  is  dusky, 
and  upon  it  are  drawn  two  delicate  waved  grey  streaks. 

The  caterpillar  is  nearly  as  pretty  as  the  perfect  insect.  It 
is  deep  velvet-like  green,  and  in  the  middle  of  the  body  is  a 
row  of  orange-brown  spots.  It  feeds  on  the  bramble,  and  is 
full-grown  at  the  end  of  summer. 

Next  comes  that  very  striking  insect  called  appropriately 
the  Argent  and  Sable  {Melanippe  hastata),  which  is  shown 
on  Woodcut  L.  Fig.  3.     As  may  be  inferred  from  the  name, 


458  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

the  colours  of  this  Moth  are  entirely  black  and  white,  mostly 
arranged  as  seen  in  the  illustration,  though  there  is  some  varia- 
tion in  different  specimens.  Even  the  body  is  black  and  white, 
and  the  very  antennae  are  black,  with  white  rings. 

The  larva  is  rather  variable,  but  is  generally  very  dark  brown, 
with  a  series  of  small  black  dots  along  each  side,  and  another 
row  of  crescent-shaped  white  marks  below  the  spiracles,  each 
of  which  is  surrounded  with  a  white  ring.  It  feeds  on  several 
trees  and  plants,  such  as  the  birch,  and  always  lives  in  conceal- 
ment, drawing  together  with  silk  the  leaves  of  the  plant  on 
which  it  feeds,  and  living  within  this  shelter.  It  is  full-fed 
towards  the  middle  of  the  autumn,  and  the  perfect  insect  appears 
at  the  beginning  of  the  following  summer. 

Another  species  of  this  beautiful  genus  is  shown  on  the  same 
Woodcut,  Fig.  4.  This  is  the  Silver  Ground  Carpet  {Mela- 
nippe  niontand). 

The  upper  wings  of  this  Moth  are  cream-white,  and  across 
them  is  drawn  an  irregular  stripe  of  dark  ochre-grey,  which 
mostly  has  a  whitish  patch  upon  it  near  the  costal  margin  of 
the  wing.  There  is  a  small  triangular  patch  of  similar  colour 
at  the  base  of  the  wing.  There  is  a  smoky  grey  edging  to 
the  wing,  through  which  is  drawn  a  waved  whitish  line.  These 
markings  look  rather  too  black  in  the  figure.  The  larva  feeds 
on  the  common  primrose,  and  is  pale  brown,  covered  with  a 
variety  of  markings,  the  most  conspicuous  of  which  are  three 
large  black  spots  shaped  something  like  the  letter  V,  upon  the 
seventh,  eighth,  and  ninth  segments.  The  caterpillar  is  full- 
fed  about  the  end  of  March  or  beginning  of  April.  All  the 
Moths  represented  in  this  Woodcut  belong  to  the  family  of  the 
Larentidse. 

On  Woodcut  LI.  Fig.  1,  is  shown  the  Eoyal  Mantle  {An- 
ticlea  sinuata\  a  name  which  was  given  to  the  little  Moth  on 
account  of  the  beauty  of  its  colouring.  The  markings  of  this 
pretty  insect  are  so  many  and  so  complicated  that  they  cannot 
fully  be  described,  but  are  generally  as  follows.  The  ground 
colour  of  the  upper  wings  may  be  considered  as  creamy  grey, 
and  at  the  base  is  a  large  triangular  patch,  divided  by  several 
bars  of  a  lighter  colour.     Towards  the  tip  of  the  wing  is  a 


THE  ROYAL  MANTLE. 


459 


blackish  patch,  and  the  rest  of  the  wing  is  taken  up  with  zig- 
zagged and  scalloped  lines  drawn  as  seen  in  the  illustration. 
There  is  a  great  resemblance  between  the  various  members  of 
this  genus,  and  one  or  two,  such  as  the  Flame  Moth  {Anticlea 
ruhldata)  and  the  Shoulder  Stripe  {^Anticlea  badlata),  are  so 
much  alike  that  a  sharp  eye  is  required  to  distinguish  the  one 
from  the  other. 

The  larva  of  this  Moth  feeds  on  the  Lady's  Bedstraw  {Galium 
vemm),  and  the  colour  is  green  with  two  black  stripes  along 


LI 


1.  Anticlea  sinnata.  2.  Scotosia  certata,  3.  Cidaria  sagittata. 

4.  Chesias  spartiata.  6.  Tanagra  chcerophyllata. 


the  back.  There  are  numbers  of  little  black  hairs  scattered 
over  the  whole  body.  About  the  middle  of  autumn  it  is  full- 
fed,  and  then  spins  for  itself  a  web  among  the  leaves  of  its 
food-plant.  It  passes  the  winter  in  the  pupal  state,  and  appears 
as  a  Moth  in  the  summer  of  the  following  year. 


460  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

A  VERT  pretty  insect  belonging  to  this  large  family  is  the 
^  ScABCE  Tissue  {Scotosia  certatd)  which  is  represented  on  Wood- 
'cut  LI.  Fig.  2. 

This  is  a  larger  Moth  than  the  others.  The  hind  margin  of 
both  pairs  of  wings  is  scalloped,  that  of  the  upper  pair  very 
slightly,  and  that  of  the  under  pair  more  boldly  cut.  The 
specific  name  of  sinuata,  or  waved,  is  given  to  the  insect  in 
consequence  of  these  scallopings  of  the  wings,  "the  colour  of 
the  wings  is  pale  grey  brown,  and  across  them  are  drawn  a 
number  of  irregular  bars,  as  shown  in  the  illustration.  Just 
inside  the  hind  margin  of  both  pairs  of  wings  runs  a  narrow 
black  line,  following  the  outline  of  the  scalloping. 

The  larva  feeds  on  the  barberry,  and  regarding  it  Mr.  New- 
man makes  the  following*  remarks  :  '  When  young  they  spin 
together  two  leaves  of  the  barberry,  adjusting  the  edges  with 
so  much  care  that  the  two  leaves  look  like  one.  The  back  of 
the  upper  leaf  I  always  find  applied  to  the  face  of  the  lower, 
and  between  these  leaves  the  enclosed  caterpillar  rests  in  a 
curved  posture,  the  head  brought  round  to  touch  the  side  of  the 
tenth  segment,  but  the  caterpillar  always  resting  on  its  ven- 
tral surface,  and  not  ring-fashion.  In  this  retreat  it  eats  the 
cuticle  and  parenchyma  of  the  upper  leaf,  its  operations  always 
betraying  its  whereabouts  by  the  appearance  of  a  large  brown 
blotch  on  the  surface.' 

This  caterpillar  is  blue-brown  above,  with  a  black  stripe 
on  each  side,  and  a  row  of  orange  spots  beneath  them.  It  is 
full-fed  about  midsummer,  and  the  perfect  insect  appears  at  the 
end  of  the  spring  of  the  succeeding  year. 

Our  last  example  of  this  large  family  is  the  Marsh  Carpet 
{Gidaria  sagittata),  one  of  our  most  local  insects. 

The  upper  wings  of  this  pretty  Moth  are  delicate  fawn  colour, 
on  which  are  two  bold  patches  of  very  dark  olive-brown  edged 
with  white,  one  occupying  the  base  and  the  other  the  middle 
of  the  wing.  The  latter  runs  out  into  a  sharp  angle  towards 
the  hind  margin,  and  assumes  a  shape  which  has  been  fancifully 
thought  to  resemble  an  arrow-head.  The  specific  name  of 
saglttaria  has  been  given  to  the  insect  in  consequence  of  this 
supposed  resemblance.  The  lower  wings  are  comparatively 
Dale  and  without  much  marking. 


THE   CARPET  MOTHS.  461 

The  larva  feeds  upon  the  meadow-rne  {Thalictrum  flavuin\ 
a  plant  which  grows  only  in  places  which  are  constantly  wet, 
such  as  the  ditches  of  water-meadows  and  fen  districts.  For 
this  reason  the  Moth  has  received  its  popular  name  of  Marsh 
Carpet.  The  fen  district  of  Cambridge  is  the  only  locality 
in  which  this  Moth  has  been  known  to  occur  in  England. 

The  caterpillar  feeds  mostly  on  the  seeds  of  the  meadow- 
rue,  but  will  at  a  pinch  eat  the  leaves  or  panicles  of  other 
plants  belonging  to  the  same  genus.  It  is  a  singularly  pretty 
caterpillar  and  very  curiously  shaped.  Each  of  the  segments, 
from  the  fifth  to  the  tenth  inclusive,  is  developed  above  into  a 
sort  of  hump,  and  at  the  side  into  a  lobe  or  flap,  which  contains 
the  spiracle.  The  top  of  each  hump  is  deep  velvety  olive-green, 
and  the  spaces  between  them  are  in  some  specimens  bright  leaf- 
green,  and  in  others  rose-coloured,  a  velvet-black  edge  throw- 
ing out  these  colours  in  a  most  beautiful  manner. 

This  lovely  caterpillar  finishes  its  feeding  towards  the  middle 
of  autumn,  and  generally  spins  a  web  among  the  flowers  of  the 
food-plant,  in  which  it  undergoes  its  changes.  Sometimes, 
however,  it  descends  to  the  ground,  and  there  takes  the  pupal 
form.  The  perfect  in'sect  appears  in  summer,  but  can  only  be 
found  by  those  who  know  where  to  look  for  it,  as  it  has  hitherto 
been  only  found  in  one  county  of  England. 

There  are  many  of  the  Moths  which  are  popularly  termed 
'  Carpets.'  This  name  is  given  to  them  because  the  beautiful 
patterns  of  their  wings  are  thought  to  have  some  resemblance 
to  those  of  carpets.  I  only  wish  that  the  patterns  of  carpets 
resembled  those  of  the  wings. 

The  family  of  the  Eubolidse  is  represented  in  this  work  by  the 
Moth  which  is  appropriately  termed  the  Streak  {Chesias  s^ar- 
tiata),  and  is  drawn  on  Woodcut  LI.  Fig.  4. 

The  insect  is  easily  recognised  by  the  peculiarity  from  which 
it  derives  its  name,  viz.  the  white  streak  which  runs  nearly 
from  base  to  tip  of  the  light  brown  wings.  There  is  a  slight 
white  line  that  runs  just  inside  the  hind  margin,  and  three 
rather  indistinct  darker  oval  marks,  one  above  the  streak  and 
the  other  two  below  it.  A  sort  of  silky  or  satiny  sheen  glosses 
the  surface  of  the  upper  wings.  The  lower  wings  are  much 
paler  than  the  upper,   and  the  whole  body  is  dark  greyish 


462  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

brown  with  a  silky  gloss.  The  larva  feeds  on  the  common 
Broom  (Spartium  scoparia)  whence  its  specific  title  of  spar- 
tiata.     The  Moth  appears  in  September. 

The  last  of  the  Greometrse  scarcely  looks  as  if  it  belonged  to 
that  group.  This  is  the  common  Chimney-Sweeper  {Tana- 
gra  chosrophyllata),  which  is  represented  on  Woodcut  LI. 
Fig.  5. 

As  may  be  inferred  from  its  popular  name,  the  colour  of  this 
Moth  is  sooty-black.  The  fringe  is  grey,  except  at  the  tip 
of  the  upper  wings,  where  it  is  snowy-white.  The  larva  is 
rather  a  pretty  one,  being  dark  green  with  a  few  lines  of  olive- 
green  and  light  green.  The  spiracles  are  red.  It  feeds  on  the 
common  earth-nut,  or  pig-nut  {Bunium  fleomosum)  and  is  full- 
fed  at  the  beginning  of  June,  when  it  descends  into  the  earth 
and  changes  to  the  pupal  state.  At  the  end  of  that  month  it 
assumes  its  perfect  form,  and  in  many  localities  appears  in 
great  nimibers. 


CHAPTER   IV 

PSEUDO-BOMBYCES,  DREPANUL^,  AND  NOCTUJE. 

'  The  two  first  of  these  groups  are  gathered  by  Mr.  Newman 
into  one  group,  which  are  termed  Cuspidates,  because  the 
tail  of  the  larva  mostly  ends  in  a  cusp  or  point.  Some  of 
the  strangest  caterpillars  in  the  world  belong  to  this  group, 
and  we  have  in  sober  England  a  number  of  Cuspidate  larvES 
which  may  rival  the  most  wonderful  productions  of  the  tropics 
for  beauty  of  colour  and  strangeness  of  form,  the  latter  being 
in  many  cases  actually  grotesque. 

The  Pseudo-Bombyces  are  so  called  because  the  Moths  look 
at  first  sight  as  if  they  belonged  to  the  true  Bombyces.  The 
structure  and  habits  of  the  caterpillar,  however,  show  that 
these  Moths  are  very  rightly  placed  in  a  separate  group. 

The  first  family  is  the  Dicranuridae,  so  called  on  account  of 
the  structure  of  the  larva.  The  name  is  formed  from  two 
G-reek  words,  signifying  Double-tailed,  and  is  given  to  these 
insects  because  the  tail  of  the  larva  is  very  deeply  cleft,  so  as, 
in  fact,  to  resemble  two  distinct  tails. 

The  first  of  these  insects  is  the  common  Puss  Moth  (Dicra- 
nura  vinula),  which  is  represented  on  Plate  XV.  Fig.  4. 

This  insect  affords  another  example  of  the  effect  which  can  be 
got  out  of  simple  black  and  white.  The  upper  wings  are  soft 
greyish-white  and  rounded  at  the  tips,  and  have  a  peculiar 
softness  in  their  general  aspect.  Most  of  the  larger  nervures 
are  without  scales,  and  show  themselves  conspicuously,  but 
at  the  branches  they  are  thickly  covered  with  black  scales.  The 
wings  are  covered  with  bold  markings  in  black  and  dark  grey, 
as  seen  in  the  illustration.  The  lower  wings  are  white  at  thp 
base,  deepening  to  blackish  grey  towards  the  margin,  and  have 
a  few  dark  spots  on  the  fringe.  The  large  thorax  is  covered 
with  long,  soft  down  of  a  snowy-white  colour,  diversified  with 


464  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

eight  very  black  spots,  so  that  it  strongly  reminds  the  observer 
of  minever.  The  head  is  also  white,  and  is  held  so  much 
under  the  thorax  that,  when  the  creature  is  at  rest,  the  head  is 
quite  invisible,  and  nothing  can  be  seen  but  the  ends  of  the 
antennae,  which  are  laid  along  either  side  of  the  thorax. 

The  caterpillar  of  this  pretty  Moth  affords  a  singular  example 
of  grotesque  form  and  beautiful  colouring.  The  head  is  flat, 
and,  when  the  creature  is  at  rest,  is  drawn  back  into  the  second 
segment.  The  fourth  segment  is  produced  into  a  large  and 
pointed  hump,  and  from  the  ninth  segment  the  body  tapers  to 
the  end.  Here  are  developed  two  rough  horn-like  projections, 
from  each  of  which  can  be  protruded  a  horny  pink  filament, 
which  seems  to  be  employed  as  a  weapon.  It  has  been 
suggested  that  these  appendages  are  used  for  the  purpose  of 
driving  away  ichneumon-flies  when  they  settle  on  the  body  in 
the  hope  of  depositing  their  eggs.  Whether  this  theory  be 
correct  or  not  is  undetermined,  but  the  caterpillar  certainly 
does  protrude  them  when  irritated.  The  larva  has  another 
weapon,  if  it  may  be  so  called.  Below  the  head  there  is  a 
transverse  slit  about  the  sixth  of  an  inch  in  length.  When 
the  creature  is  alarmed  or  angered,  from  this  aperture  is 
ejected  a  fluid  of  an  acrid  character,  which  may  probably  have 
some  injurious  or  deterrent  effect  upon  the  enemies  of  the 
Puss  Moth  larva. 

The  colour  of  this  caterpillar  is  singularly  beautifvd — leaf- 
green  on  the  sides  and  whitish  above,  with  some  stripes  of 
purple-brown.  Between  these  two  colours  a  white  stripe 
runs  from  the  side  of  the  head  to  the  tip  of  the  hump,  and 
then  passes  to  the  base  of  the  double  tail.  The  stripes  are  so 
arranged  that  when  the  larva  is  viewed  from  above,  they  appear 
something  like  the  capital  letter  X.  In  some  specimens, 
though  not  in  all,  there  is  a  large  purple  patch  on  the  eighth 
segment. 

This  larva  feeds  both  on  the  willow  and  poplar,  and,  being- 
very  hardy,  is  easily  reared  throughout  its  changes.  When 
full-fed,  which  takes  place  about  the  end  of  May,  it  leaves  its 
food,  crawls  down  the  trunk  of  the  tree,  and  creeps  into  some 
convenient  crevice  of  the  bark.  In  this  refuge  it  forms  a 
cocoon  made  of  small  chips  of  the  bark  fastened  together  with 
silk,  and  of  wonderful  strength.     The  cocoon,  indeed,  is  mostly 


COCOON  OF  THE  PUSS  MOTH.  465 

constructed  of  silk,  the  bark  chips  being  merely  added  to  it  in 
order  to  make  it  agree  in  appearance  with  the  trunk  of  the 
tree.  Moisture  does  not  soften  this  silken  secretion,  though 
air  hardens  it,  and  the  consequence  is  that  after  exposure  to 
the  atmosphere,  the  cocoon  becomes  as  hard  as  if  made  of 
horn,  so  that  the  inmate  is  safe  from  nearly  all  enemies  ;  while 
the  exact  similitude  between  the  surface  of  the  cocoon  and  the 
bark  of  the  tree  renders  it  almost  incapable  of  discovery. 

A  very  good  specimen  of  this  cocoon  in  my  collection  was 
discovered  by  me  quite  accidentally,  and  so  precisely  did  it 
resemble  the  bark  of  the  tree  that  I  was  obliged  to  keep  my 
finger  on  the  spot  while  I  opened  my  knife,  fearing  that  if  I 
once  lost  the  exact  place  I  should  never  find  it  again.  If  the 
larva  be  kept  in  captivity,  and  deprived  of  material  from 
which  the  wood-chips  of  the  cocoon  are  formed,  it  is  obliged  to 
form  its  habitation  entirely  of  silk,  and  thus  enables  the 
observer  to  see  the  construction  of  this  remarkable  cocoon. 
Though  formed  of  silk,  it  is  not  made  like  that  of  the  silkworm 
Moth,  of  a  thread  which  is  wound  into  an  oval  shape.  No  thread 
is  visible,  but  the  whole  cocoon  looks  (and  feels)  as  if  it  were 
made  from  very  thin  horn,  so  translucent  that  the  form  of  the 
inmate  can  easily  be  seen  through  it.  I  imagine  that,  although 
the  cocoon  is  spun  like  that  of  the  silkworm  and  other  Moths, 
the  silk  does  not  harden  immediately  it  comes  in  contact  with 
the  atmosphere,  so  that  the  whole  mass  becomes  fused  together, 
and  the  individuality  of  the  thread  is  thereby  lost.  I  have 
reared  many  of  these  larvae,  and  found  that,  although  they 
would  always  use  portions  of  their  food-plant  iu  the  construc- 
tion of  the  cocoon,  they  were  really  quite  independent  of  it, 
and  did  not  suffer  in  any  way  by  being  obliged  to  form  their 
dwelling  entirely  of  silk. 

It  is  always  easy  to  force  a  Puss  Moth  larva  to  form  such  a 
cocoon.  When  it  is  full-fed  it  loses  the  brilliancy  of  its 
colours,  a  brownish  hue  comes  over  its  body,  and  it  looks  as  if 
it  were  about  to  die.  It  should  then  be  removed  from  its  food  - 
plant,  and  placed  in  the  glass  vessel  in  which  the  cocoon  is  to  be 
preserved  for  the  collection.  After  the  cocoon  is  fully  formed, 
the  vessel  should  be  subjected  to  the  vapour  of  bruised  laurel 
leaves   long    enough    to    kill  the  pupa,   and  the  dead    insect 

H    H 


466 


INSECTS  AT  HOIVIE. 


should    then   be    carefully    dried   in   an    oven,  and  the  case 
rendered  air-tight. 

The  caterpillar  is  full-fed  about  midsummer,  and,  passing 
the  winter  in  its  chrysalis  state,  is  developed  into  the  Moth  in 
the  following  June. 

LII 


1.  Cerara  fiircula.  2.  Stauropus  fagi.  3.  Notodenta  dromedarius. 

a.  Stauropus,  larva.  b.  Notodonta,  larva. 


Next  in  order  comes  the  Moth  which,  as  the  larva  feeds  on 
sallow  and  the  insect  belongs  to  the  same  genus  as  the  Puss 
Moth,  but  is  much  smaller,  is  popularly  termed  the  Sallow 
Kitten  Moth  (Dicranura  or  Cerura  furcula).  This  insect  is 
represented  on  Woodcut  LII.  Fig.  1.  The  specific  name  of 
furcula  signifies  a  little  fork,  and  is  given  to  the  insect  in 
consequence  of  the  shape  of  the  larva,  which  is  terminated  by 
two  diverging  horns,  continuous  in  their  outline  with  that  of 
the  body,  and  not  projecting  from  it  like  the  horn  of  a  Hawk 
Moth  larva.  '.  . 


LOBSTER  MOTH.  467 

Though  not  so  strikingly  handsome  an  insect  as  its  larger 
relative,  the  Sallow  Kitten  is  really  a  pretty  Moth.  The 
upper  wings  are  greyish  white,  traversed  by  a  number  of 
black-grey  streaks  arranged  as  seen  in  the  illustration,  one  or 
two  of  them  being  accompanied  by  a  line  of  yellow.  The 
lower  wings  of  the  male  are  pure  white,  clouded  with  grey  and 
having  a  few  blackish  spots,  while  those  of  the  female  are 
mostly  dusky.  The  thorax  is  coloured  like  the  upper  wings, 
and  is  crossed  transversely  by  three  bars  of  black  and  yellow. 

The  larva  is  shaped  and  coloured  very  much  like  that  of  the 
Puss  Moth,  but  may  be  recognised  by  the  shape  of  the  body 
with  its  deeply  forked  end.  When  the  larva  is  full-fed,  it 
spins  a  cocoon  much  like  that  of  the  Puss  Moth,  and  the 
perfect  insect  appears  in  June. 

On  Woodcut  LII.  Fig.  2,  is  drawn  a  Moth  which  in  the 
perfect  state  does  not  attract  much  attention,  but  which,  as  a 
larva,  is  one  of  the  most  extraordinary  beings  that  England 
possesses.  In  fact,  supposing  that  the  creature  were  not  known, 
no  artist  would  dare  to  figure  so  bizarre  an  object ;  for  if  he  did 
so,  all  the  entomologists  would  be  in  arms  against  him,  and 
say  that  such  a  creature  could  not  possibly  exist. 

The  shape  and  markings  of  the  insect  can  be  seen  by  refer- 
ence to  the  illustration,  and  as  the  wings  are  merely  grey- 
brown  marked  with  a  darker  tint,  they  need  not  be  described 
in  detail.  The  figure  represents  a  male.  The  female  is 
similarly  coloured,  but  is  larger,  and  her  antennae  are  thread- 
like and  without  the  feathering-. 

Now  we  come  to  the  larva,  which  is  shown  at  Fig.  a  of  the 
same  illustration.  The  three  remarkable  characteristics  of  this 
larva  are  the  enormously  long  legs,  so  unlike  the  short,  feeble 
legs  of  most  caterpillars ;  the  high  and  pointed  humps  of  the 
middle  segments,  and  the  enormously  developed  thirteenth,  or 
last  segment,  with  its  double,  club-shaped  horns. 

The  attitude  in  which  it  is  represented  is  that  which  it 
assumes  when  at  rest.  The  colour  is  reddish-brown,  profusely 
spotted  with  minute  dots  of  a  paler  hue,  and  there  are  two 
slight  blackish  stripes  along  the  back,  and  a  grey  stripe 
between  them.  There  are  also  a  few  black  marks  on  the  sides 
of  the  body.     This  extraordinary  caterpillar  feeds  on  oak  and 

B  H  2 


468  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

beech,  and,  when  it  is  full-fed,  which  occurs  about  the  end  of 
September,  it  spins  together  several  leaves,  and  within  them 
makes  its  cocoon.  At  the  beginning  of  winter  the  leaves  fall, 
but  the  habitation  which  the  caterpillar  has  made  is  so  formed 
that  it  protects  the  inmate  from  the  shock  of  the  fall,  which, 
however  is  but  slight,  as  the  dry,  withered  leaves  and  enclosed 
cocoon  are  very  light,  and  only  come  fluttering  gently  to  the 
ground.  The  perfect  insect  appears  in  June.  It  is  not  a  common 
Moth,  and  is  never  found  in  the  northern  parts  of  England. 

The  scientific  name  of  this  insect  is  Stauropus  fagi,  and  its 
popular  title,  the  Lobster  Moth.  Both  names  refer  to  the 
caterpillars.  The  word  Staurojpus,  or  stake-footed,  refers 
to  the  great  length  of  the  legs,  which  almost  look  as  if  they 
were  slender  sticks  projecting  from  the  larva  ;  and  the  name  of 
Lobster  Moth  is  given  to  it  because  the  larva  is  thought  to 
resemble  a  lobster  rather  than  an  ordinary  caterpillar,  the 
uplifted  and  enlarged  last  segment  doing  duty  for  the  claw. 

The  very  common  and  really  handsome  Moth,  the  Buff-tip 
{Pygcera  bucephala)  is  drawn  on  Woodcut  XLVII.  Fig.  1, 
page  439.     The  figure  represents  a  male  with  its  wings  spread. 

The  upper  wings  of  this  Moth  are  beautifully  coloured  with 
various  shades  of  grey,  crossed  with  bars  and  bands  of  different 
browns,  mixed  here  and  there  with  ochreous  yellow,  and 
taking  a  slight  purplish  gloss  along  the  costal  margin.  At  the 
tip  of  each  wing  is  a  large  buff  blotch,  marked  off  from  the 
rest  of  the  wing  by  two  dark-brown  lines  enclosing  a  grey  line, 
between  them.  The  buff  blotch  has  on  it  a  few  markings  of 
deeper  hue.  The  hind  wings  are  paler  greyish  ochre,  and  the 
whole  of  the  under  surface  is  of  the  same  colour,  with  the 
exception  of  a  dark  bar  crossing  the  lower  wings  diagonally, 
and  a  dark  hind  margin  to  the  upper  wings.  The  thorax  is 
large,  covered  with  dense,  gold-coloured  down,  and  nearly 
conceals  the  head. 

When  at  rest,  this  Moth  presents  a  very  curious  aspect. 
The  wings  are  pressed  against  the  body  which  they  cover,  the 
two  yellow  spots  at  their  tips  exactly  balancing  at  one  end  the 
yellow  thorax  at  the  other.  The  large  thorax  itself  looks  very 
much  like  a  head,  and  on  that  account  the  specific  name  of 
bucephala,  or  '  bull-headed,'  has  been  given  to  the  insect.    In 


THE  BUFF-TIP  MOTH.  469 

consequence  of  the  peculiar  aspect  of  the  quiescent  attitude, 
the  Bufif-tip  Moth  often  escapes  observation,  as  most  persons 
would  mistake  it  for  a  piece  of  dried  stick. 

The  caterpillar  feeds  upon  the  lime,  the  elm,  the  hazel,  and 
one  or  two  other  trees,  and  often  does  considerable  damage.  It 
is  semi-social  in  its  habits,  and,  though  plentiful,  is  not  often 
seen  until  full-fed,  in  consequence  of  its  peculiar  idiosyncrasies. 
The  eggs  are  laid  in  batches,  sometimes  as  many  as  sixty  in 
number,  on  the  upper  part  of  a  leaf,  and  when  hatched,  the 
little  caterpillars  belonging  to  each  brood  remain  together,  and 
feed  on  the  upper  surface  of  the  leaf.  After  their  first  change 
of  skin,  they  break  up  into  six  or  seven  small  companies,  and 
each  company  remains  together  until  the  change  into  the 
pupal  state  is  at  hand.  As  they  become  larger  they  make 
their  way  to  the  topmost  branches,  where  they  work  great 
havoc  amongi  the  leaves,  often  leaving  bough  after  bough 
completely  denuded  of  foliage. 

When  full-fed  they  separate,  and  each  caterpillar  makes  its 
way  down  the  tree,  and  starts  off  on  its  travels  in  search  of  a 
resting-place  in  which  it  can  pass  its  pupal  state  of  existence. 
Being  very  numerous  and  very  conspicuous,  these  caterpillars 
are  familiar  to  most  residents  in  the  country.  They  go  reso- 
lutely in  their  search,  making  their  way  over  everything  in 
their  path,  utterly  careless  of  observation.  In  some  places 
they  are  so  numerous  that  they  become  a  positive  nuisance, 
and,  indeed,  I  do  not  know  any  creature  which  has  a  greater 
talent  for  getting  in  the  way. 

Towards  the  beginning  of  August  these  caterpillars  begin  to 
show  themselves,  and  anyone  who  wishes  to  rear  the  Moth  from 
the  caterpillar  may  procure  as  many  as  he  likes.  Last  year 
(1870)  they  grievously  offended  tidy  housekeepers  by  their 
intrusion.  It  was  hardly  possible  to  set  foot  outside  the  door 
without  crushing  one  or  two  of  them  on  the  white  door-step, 
and,  not  content  with  infesting  the  steps  and  paths,  they 
crawled  into  the  houses,  and  travelled  over  ciujjets  and  oil- 
cloths as  determinately  as  if  they  had  been  traversing  the 
fields.  When  at  last  they  have  suited  themselves  with  a  spot 
which  seems  to  them  a  favourable  one,  they  throw  off  the  last 
caterpillar  skin,  and  change  into  smooth  brown  pupae.  These 
pupae   are    wonderfully  hardy,  enduring   the    frost    of  winter 


470  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

■svithout  the  least  protection,  and  emerging  in  the  perfect  state 
in  the  early  summer  of  the  following  year.  Pupge  so  exposed 
are  naturally  liable  to  destruction.  Uncounted  thousands  are 
eaten  by  birds,  and,  indeed,  were  it  not  for  the  destruction  that 
awaits  the  larger  proportion  of  the  larvae  as  they  travel  in 
search  of  resting-places,  and  the  havoc  that  is  made  among 
them  in  the  pupal  state,  their  armies  would  be  so  enormous 
that  scarcely  a  forest  tree  would  survive  their  ravages. 

The  colour  of  the  caterpillar  is  yellow,  covered  with  a 
number  of  short  longitudinal  black  bars  arranged  in  nine  rows, 
as  seen  at  Woodcut  XL VII.  Fig.  a.  The  pupa  is  remarkable 
for  the  doubly  forked  apparatus  at  the  end  of  the  tail. 

Next  comes  a  family  of  Moths  called  Notodontidse,  or  Tooth- 
backs,  because  the  backs  or  inner  margins  of  the  upper  wings 
are  toothed,  or  have  elevated  portions  along  the  inner  margins, 
from  which  they  derive  the  popular  name  of  Prominents.  As 
an  example  of  these  Moths  we  will  take  the  Iron  Prominent 
{Notodenta  dromedarius),  the  male  of  which  is  shown  on 
Woodcut  LII.  Fig.  3. 

The  colouring-  of  this  insect  is  very  simple.  The  ground  hue 
is  brown,  with  a  slight  purplish  tinge,  upon  which  is  a  broad 
rust-red  streak  and  two  small  pale  bars,  arranged  as  seen  in  the 
illustration.  The  outlines  of  all  the  markings  are  vague  and 
indistinct,  and  there  is  considerable  variation  in  different 
individuals.  The  lower  wings  are  greyish  brown,  with  a  dark 
spot  on  the  disc,  and  two  pale  and  ill-defined  bars. 

The  caterpillar,  although  not  so  bizarre  in  appearance  as  that 
of  the  Lobster  Moth,  is  yet  a  very  quaint  and  odd-looking 
creature.  A  portrait  of  this  larva  is  given  at  Fig.  b  on  the  same 
Woodcut.  As  may  be  seen  by  reference  to  the  figiu:e,  the  head 
is  comparatively  large,  and  the  second  and  third  segments  are 
so  small  as  to  form  a  sort  of  neck.  From  the  fifth  to  the  ninth 
segments  the  back  is  humped.  The  colour  is  rather  pretty, 
being  green  more  or  less  tinged  with  yellow,  and  liiarked  with 
a  very  deep  purple-brown.  There  are  other  markings,  but  the 
shape  of  the  larva  is  so  peculiar  that  minute  detail  is  not 
needed  for  its  identification. 

This  caterpillar  may  be  found  on  the  birch,  where  it  remains 
until  full-fed,  an  event  which  takes  place  somewhere  about  the 


THE  NOCTUJi:.  471 

end  of  September.  It  then  descends  the  tree,  and  beneath  it 
spins  for  itself  a  slight  cocoon,  which  is  generally  screened  from 
observation  by  having  a  fallen  leaf  fastened  to  its  upper 
surface.  In  this  exposed  situation  it  changes  into  a  pupa,  and 
there  lies  until  the  following  June,  when  it  assumes  the  perfect 
form.  The  insect  is,  and  yet  is  not,  a  common  one.  Those 
entomologists  who  have  not  yet  learned  to  look  behind  the 
scenes  of  Nature's  theatre  reckon  the  Iron  Prominent  to  be 
quite  a  rarity ;  while  those  who  have  been  long  accustomed  to 
the  practical  study  of  insects  and  their  ways,  experience  no 
great  diflficulty  in  obtaining  either  the  moth,  the  pupa,  or  the 
caterpillar,  and  in  consequence  consider  the  Iron  Prominent  as 
rather  a  plentiful  insect. 


We  now  come  to  one  of  the  largest  groups  of  British  Moths, 
the  NocTU^,  so  called  because,  as  a  rule,  they  are  exclusively 
night-fliers,  and  never,  except  by  accident,  appear  in  the  day- 
time.    In  tliese  Moths  the  body  is  almost  always  stout  and 
tliick,  as  is  the  thorax,  the  hairs  of  which  often  rise  nearly 
erect,  so  as  to  form  a  sort  of  crest.    Generally  these  Moths  hide 
themselves  by  day,  taking  advantage  of  crevices  in  walls,  the 
bark  of  trees,  old  posts,  palings,  and  invariably  selecting  those 
which  best  harmonise  with  the  colour  of  their  closed  wings. 
So  close  is  often  the  resemblance  between  the  colour  of  the 
insect  and  that  of  the  object  on  which  it  rests,  that  even  the 
most  experienced  and  keenest  entomologists  often  find  them- 
selves  deceived,  and   have   only  detected   the   well-disguised 
insect  when,  by  an  accidental  touch,  they  have  forced  it  to  take 
flight.     Even    those    species    which    have    their   under   wings 
adorned  with  beautiful  colours,  have  almost  invariably  their 
upper  wings  plainly  mottled  with  brown,  grey,  black,  and  dun, 
so  that  when  they  are  at  rest  the  splendid  under  wings  are 
concealed,  and   their   glories   veiled   by  the  sombrely  tinted 
upper  pair.     Many,  in  fact,  most  of  them,  have  both  pairs  of 
wings  coloured  in  the  simplest  and  least  imposing  manner,  not 
even   having   any  bold  black,  white,  or  brown  markings  on 
either  pair  of  wings.    Consequently,  when  a  number  of  Noctuse, 
which  are  of  about  the  same  size,  are  collected,  it  is  a  very 
difficult  matter  to  refer  them  to  their  proper  positions,  and 


'/ 


472  INSECTS  AT   HOIVIE. 

even  the  most  skilful  of  entomologists  is  forced  to  refer  to  his 
books  before  he  can,  with  any  confidence,  assign  to  some  sixty 
or  a  hundred  Noctuse  their  exact  names. 

As  they  mostly  fly  by  night,  and  are  always  attracted  by 
light,  these  Moths  form  the  greater  number  of  those  which  are 
captured  by  the  familiar  and  most  efficacious  process  of 
'  sugaring.'  This  process  may  be  briefly  explained.  The 
intending  sugarer  mixes  together  the  roughest  and  coarsest  of 
sugar — '  foots '  as  it  is  called — with  water  or  beer,  and  boils 
them  together.  I  believe  that  water  is  quite  as  efficacious  as 
beer.  He  may  then  cork  it  up  tightly  in  bottles,  and  keep  it 
until  he  wants  to  use  it. 

On  some  dark,  calm  evening — the  latter  attribute  being 
absolutely  necessary — the  entomologist  pours  a  sufficiency  of 
the  mixture  into  a  basin,  adds  a  few  spoonfuls  of  new  rum,  and 
steeps  in  it  ten  to  sixteen  pieces  of  old  rag.  When  the  rags 
are  thoroughly  soaked,  he  removes  them,  allows  the  super- 
fluous moisture  to  drip  from  them,  puts  the  saturated  rags  into  a 
tightly  closed  vessel,  and  pours  the  rest  of  the  sweet  liquid 
into  the  bottle,  in  readiness  for  the  next  occasion. 

Provided  with  a  number  of  pill-boxes,  the  ordinary  net, 
pins,  forceps,  and  other  entomological  paraphernalia,  the  col- 
lector further  adds  a  dark  lantern — not  a  '  bull's-eye  ' — a  box 
of  matches,  and  a  small  bottle  of  chloroform,  or,  in  default 
thereof,  a  '  laurel-bottle,'  in  which  the  pounded  laurel  leaves 
are  made  up  into  little  packets  about  as  wide  as  a  sixpence  and 
as  thick  as  a  penny.  Arrived  at  a  spot  where  there  are  plenty 
of  trees,  the  collector  lights  his  lantern,  takes  the  saturated 
rags  from  the  box,  and  pins  them  upon  the  trunks  of  trees, 
taking  care  to  arrange  them  as  nearly  as  possible  in  a  circle,  so 
as  to  concentrate  the  odour  of  the  sugar  and  rum.  When  he 
has  pinned  up  the  last  piece  of  rag,  he  sees  that  his  apparatus  is 
all  in  good  order,  and  slowly  goes  round  his  former  track, 
always  taking  care  to  throw  the  light  of  the  lantern  on  the  rags. 

Should  the  night  be  favourable,  an  extraordinary  sight 
presents  itself.  Hundreds  of  Moths  are  converging  upon  the 
spot  from  all  directions,  and  as  many  others  are  gathered 
round  the  sweet  mixture,  while  every  now  and  then  the  two 
round  eyes  of  some  large  Moth  glow  amid  the  darkness  like 
two  balls  of  fire.     Some  of  the  commoner  kinds  are  often  in 


PEACH-BLOSSOM  MOTH.  473 

such  profusion  as  to  be  absolutely  annoying,  crowding  to  the 
sugar  in  multitudes,  and  quite  distracting  the  eye  of  the  col- 
lector from  the  Moths  which  he  wishes  to  take.  With  a  little 
practice,  however,  the  task  of  selection  becomes  a  tolerably  easy 
one,  and  there  are  few  nights  when  valuable  additions  may  not 
be  made  to  the  cabinet.  When  the  collector  has  made  the 
round  of  his  sugar  rags  often  enough,  he  unpins  them,  and 
puts  them  back  into  the  tin  box  ready  to  serve  for  another 
occasion.  This  plan  is  far  less  cumbrous  than  the  old  method 
of  carrying  a  jar  of  sugar  and  beer  and  a  brush  wherewith  to 
spread  the  compound  on  the  trees. 

Most  of  the  pupae  of  the  Noctuas  undergo  their  changes 
beneath  the  surface  of  the  ground,  and  the  chrysalids  that  are 
found  by  the  collector  when  '  digging  for  pupge '  generally 
belong  to  this  group  of  insects. 

Our  first  example  of  the  Noctuas  is  the  pretty  Peach- 
Blossom  Moth  {Thyatira  batis),  which  is  represented  on 
Woodcut  LIU.  Fig.  3. 

This  very  pretty  Moth  has  received  its  popular  name  in 
consequence  of  the  colouring  of  the  wings.  The  upper  pair 
are  olive-brown,  decorated  with  four  large  and  conspicuous 
spots,  the  largest  being  at  the  base  of  the  wing,  and  one 
smaller  spot  on  the  inner  margin.  These  spots  are  lovely 
pink  in  the  middle,  surrounded  with  white,  and  each  of  them 
really  does  bear  some  resemblance  to  the  petal  of  a  peach- 
blossom.  A  few  bars  of  rose-colom'  cross  the  brown  thorax.  The 
body  is  brown,  and  has  a  small  crest  on  the  back  of  the  second, 
third,  and  fourth  segments.  The  beautiful  pink  colour  of  the 
spots  is  very  liable  to  fade,  unless  the  insect  be  very  carefully 
kept  in  the  dark.  Several  of  my  specimens  have  almost  lost 
their  lovely  pink  in  consequence  of  being  kept  in  a  badly 
constructed  cabinet.     The  Moth  is  tolerably  common. 

The  larva  of  this  insect  is  a  very  odd-looking  creature, 
as  may  be  seen  by  reference  to  Fig.  a  on  the  same  Woodcut. 
Its  colour  is  warm  chestnut-brown  mottled  with  grey,  and  the 
surface  has  a  velvety  aspect.  One  peculiarity  in  this  cater- 
pillar is  that  it  seems  to  make  no  use  either  of  its  true  legs  or 
of  the  claspers  at  the  end  of  its  body,  but  clings  to  its  food 
plant  by  means  of  the  claspers  of  the  middle  of  the  body. 


474 


INSECTS  AT   HOME. 


The  largest  hump  is  that  of  the  third  segment,  and  it  is 
furnished  at  the  top  with  a  cleft  projection.  This  curious 
lar\a  can  be  found  on  the  common  bramble,  and  is  in  best 
condition  about  the  end  of  August,  or  beginning  of  September, 
when  it  is  full-fed,  and  about  to  '  spin  up.'  When  it  finally 
ceases  to  feed  it  spins  a  slight  cocoon,  which  it  fastens  among 
the  leaves,  changes  into  the  pupal  state,  and  makes  its  appear- 

Lin 


f 


1.  Platepteryx  falcula. 


2.  Psyche  opacella. 
a.  Thyatira,  larva. 


3.  Thyatira  batis. 
b.  Psyche,  larva. 


4.  Diphthera  Orion. 


ance  as  a  Moth  in  the  ensuing  summer.  This  pretty  Moth 
used  to  be  very  plentiful  about  Oxford  when  I  was  collecting 
there.     It  belongs  to  the  family  Trifidse. 

Next  comes  an  example  of  the  Bombycoidse — a  Moth  quite  as 
beautiful  as-  the  preceding  insect,  but  with  a  different  style  of 
beauty.  Its  scientific  name  is  Diphthera  Orion,  and  its  popular 
title  the  Scaece  Merveil  du  Jour.    See  Woodcut  LIII.  Fig.  4. 

The  colour  of  the  upper  wings  is  very  remarkable.     The 


THE  DOUBLE-LINE.  475 

ground  hue  is  bright  green,  across  which  four  pure  white 
stripes  are  drawn  longitudinally,  and  three  black  jagged  bars 
transversely.  The  two  middle  white  stripes  are  the  widest,  the 
two  others  being  quite  narrow,  one  running  close  to  the  costal 
margin  of  the  wing,  and  the  other  equally  close  to  the  hind 
margin.  The  hind  margin  is  edged  with  a  row  of  spots  having 
the  centre  white  and  the  exterior  black.  The  head  is  green, 
like  the  upper  wings,  and  the  thorax  is  green  in  the  middle, 
black  in  front,  and  black  and  pale  green  behind.  The  lower 
wings  are  smoky-grey,  and  with  a  dark  spot  on  the  disc,  and  a 
few  white  lines  at  the  anal  angle. 

The  caterpillar  is  a  very  pretty  larva,  blue-black  on  the  back, 
and  adorned  with  orange  and  pale  yellow  on  the  sides.  It  has 
been  known  to  feed  both  on  birch  and  oak,  and  Mr.  Crewe,  who 
reared  some  of  these  insects  from  the  egg,  thinks  that  the 
caterpillar  feeds  alternately  on  oa'k  and  birch,  passing  from  one 
to  the  other  at  will.  I  scarcely  see  how  this  can  be  the  case, 
as  oak  and  birch  trees  are  not  always  in  proximity  to  each 
other,  and,  unless  their  branches  actually  touched,  it  is  difficult 
to  see  how  the  larva  could  pass  from  one  tree  to  another.  The 
pupa  forms  for  itself  a  cocoon  of  gnawed  wood,  and  the  perfect 
insect  appears  in  June.  It  is  a  rare  species,  but  has  been 
found  in  Kent,  the  New  Forest,  near  Ipswich,  and  one  or  two 
other  localities. 

The  Moth  which  is  represented  on  Woodcut  LIV.  Fig.  1,  is  an 
instance  of  an  insect,  which  was  once  plentiful,  becoming  rare. 
Its  popular  name  is  the  Double-line,  and  its  scientific  title  is 
Leucania  turca.  It  is  an  example  of  the  group  Grenuinse,  and 
the  family  Leucanidae. 

The  colour  of  this  Moth  is  simple.  The  ground  hue  of  the 
upper  wings  is  brick-red,  very  much  like  that  of  red  blotting- 
paper,  but  rather  duller  and  browner,  and  across  them  are 
drawn  two  dark  brown  bars,  which  have  gained  for  the  insect 
its  popular  name.  In  the  middle  of  the  wing  is  a  small, 
curved,  white  spot.  The  lower  wings  are  pale  brown,  becoming 
reddish  on  the  margins. 

The  larva  feeds  on  wood  grasses,  and  is  mostly  to  be  found  in 
the  southern  parts  of  England,  especially  those  which  are  near 
the  coast.     The  Moth  appears  in  June. 


476 


INSECTS  AT  HOME. 


On  the  same  Woodcut,  at  Fig.  3,  is  shown  the  too  common 
Cabbage  Moth  {Mamestra  brassicce). 

That  this  Moth  subserves  some  good  purpose  is  evident  from 
the  fact  of  its  existence,  but  what  that  purpose  may  be  is  not 
easy  to  discover.  It  may,  perhaps,  be  useful  in  keeping  down 
the  too  abundant  vegetation  in  wild  and  uncultivated  countries, 
and  so  may  have  done  good  service  when  this  land  was  one  vast 


1.  Leucania  turca.       2.  Agrotis  segetiim.       3.  Mamestra  brassicae.       4.  Tryphsena  janthina. 
a.  TryphaBna,  larva. 

hunting-ground,  and  our  predecessors  used  flint  instead  of  steel, 
and  a  wash  of  woad  by  way  of  dress.  At  all  events,  it  is  very 
much  out  of  place  so  far  as  regards  civilised  society,  and  we 
could  well  spare  it  if  it  had  been  improved  off  the  face  of 
creation,  in  company  with  the  wolf,  the  bear,  and  the  beaver. 

The  caterpillar  of  this  Moth  is  one  of  the  most  voracious 
herb-feeders  in  this  country.  It  can  eat  almost  any  herb,  but 
prefers  those  which  belong  to  the  cabbage  tribe.     As  for  those 


THE  TUKNIP  MOTH.  477 

wbich  are  cultivated  with  solid  masses  of  vegetation,  such  as 
the  summer-cabbage  and  the  broccoli,  this  larva  .is  terribly 
destructive,  burrowing  through  and  through  the  very  heart  of 
the  vegetable,  and  leaving  behind  it  a  track  or  gallery,  filled 
with  the  watery  juices  of  the  plant  and  the  ejecta  of  the 
caterpillars.  For  my  part,  I  have  seen  so  much  of  these 
abominable  beings  that  I  have  not  for  many  years  ventured  to 
touch  a  '  summer-cabbage.'  I  am  not  particularly  fastidious, 
but  have  not  yet  brought  myself  to  appi*eciate  boiled  cater- 
pillars, and  rather  fancy  that  I  never  shall  accept  them  as  an 
article  of  food. 

It  is  quite  impossible  for  the  cook  to  extirpate  them  from 
the  cabbage,  no  matter  how  conscientiously  she  may  steep  it  in 
strong  salt  and  water.  Those  caterpillars  which  are  merely 
Im'king-  between  the  leaves  are  dislodged  easily  enough,  and 
often  come  tumbling  out  in  such  numbers  that  the  cook  is 
persuaded  that  she  has  completely  ejected  them.  But,  deep 
within  the  heart  of  the  cabbage,  sorely  grieved  indeed  by  the 
salt,  but  too  deeply  buried  to  make  their  escape,  are  sundry  of 
the  largest  and  best-fed  caterpillars,  which  are  eventually 
boiled  with  the  cabbage,  and  mostly  eaten  ignorantly  by  those 
who  partake  of  the  vegetable.  During  life  they  are  darker 
than  the  bright  green  of  the  leaf,  but  the  boiling  water  reduces 
leaf  and  caterpillar  to  a  very  similar  hue,  and  it  is  not  easy  to 
distinguish  the  one  from  the  other. 

The  colour  of  the  upper  wings  of  this  Moth  is  dark  greyish- 
brown,  mottled  variously  with  darker  brown  and  grey.  The 
lower  wings  are  paler  brown,  with  a  smoky  or  blackish  tint. 
The  caterpillar  is  exceedingly  variable  in  its  colours,  but  is 
generally  olive- brown  above  and  yellow  below,  and  on  the  back 
of  each  segment  is  a  blackish  triangular  mark  in  which  are  two 
white  dots.  Sometimes  the  body  is  pale  dusky-green  above 
and  below.  When  full-fed  it  descends  to  the  earth,  makes  a 
shallow  burrow  in  it,  and  changes  to  a  smooth  brown  chrysalis. 
Both  the  Moth  and  caterpillar  are  plentiful  through  the 
summer,  and  during  the  autumn  the  ground  may  be  nearly 
cleared  of  pupae  by  judicious  digging  and  hand-picking. 

The  family  of  the  Noctuidse  will  be  represented  by  three 
examples,  the  first  of  which  is  the  Turnip  Moth  {Agrotis 
segetum),  which  is  drawn  on  Woodcut  LIV.  Fig.  2. 


478  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

This  is  a  small  and  inconspicuous  Moth,  but  it  does  far 
more  damage  than  many  Moths  of  much  larger  size  and  more 
conspicuous  colouring.  The  larva  of  this  insect  is  to  turnips 
what  that  of  the  last-mentioned  insect  is  to  the  cabtage,  and 
with  this  difference,  that  whereas  the  Cabbage  caterpillar 
works  above  ground  and  may  be  detected  by  the  eye,  the 
Turnip  caterpillar  works  for  the  most  part  below  the  surface 
of  the  earth,  and  the  only  evidence  of  its  presence  is  the 
drooping  state  of  the  plant.  When  very  young,  it  feeds  upon 
the  leaves  of  the  turnip  and  many  other  plants,  such,  for 
example,  as  the  carrot,  or  some  flower,  and  in  that  stage  may 
be  removed  by  hand-picking  ;  but,  when  it  grows  larger,  it 
descends  towards  the  earth,  fixes  upon  the  upper  portion  of 
the  root,  just  where  it  joins  the  stem,  and  there  gnaws  a 
groove  completely  round  the  stem,  the  entire  plant  often 
dying  from  the  injury.  It  grows  with  great  rapidity,  and, 
when  about  three-quarters  grown,  burrows  into  the  earth  and 
attacks  the  root  itself,  beginning  near  the  bottom,  burrowing 
deeply  into  it,  and  gnawing  large  hollows  in  it. 

These  caterpillars  are  only  too  familiar  to  agricultmists. 
They  are  nearly  smooth,  grey-striped  more  or  less,  and  covered 
with  little  shining,  round  spots,  from  each  of  which  proceeds  a 
short  bristle.  As  a  rule,  the  gardener  cannot  mistake  in 
killing  every  brown-looking  caterpillar  that  he  finds  beneath 
the  ground,  for  it  is  sm-e  to  be  one  of  those  beings  that 
make  havoc  among  the  crops,  and  the  greater  because  their 
ravages  are  carried  on_  out  of  sight.  It  is  principally  in 
search  of  these  destructive  caterpillars  that  the  rooks  frequent 
turnip-fields.  When  the  birds  are  seen  busily  digging  with 
their  powerful  beaks,  they  are  engaged  in  the  search  after 
the  turnip  caterpillar,  and  not  trying  to  eat  the  turnip 
itself. 

The  whole  history  of  this  Moth  is  a  very  interesting  one, 
but  our  space  is  diminishing  so  rapidly  that  we  must  pass  on 
to  other  insects. 

The  pretty  insect  which  is  shown  on  Woodcut  LIV.  Fig.  4, 
is  popularly  called  the  Lesser  Bkoad  Boeder  {Tryphwna 
janthina).  It  forms  one  of  a  group  called  the  Yellow  Under- 
wings,  because  the  ground  hue  of  their  lower  wings  is  bright 


THE  UNDEEWING  MOTHS.  479 

ochreous  yellow.  The  upper  wings  of  this  Moth  are  shining 
brown,  with  a  slight  purplish  gloss  when  viewed  in  a  side 
light.  The  purple  shows  best  by  placing  the  insect  with  the 
tip  of  the  wing  towards  the  light,  and  then  looking  at  it  from 
base  to  tip.  On  the  wing  are  drawn  a  number  of  waved  and 
indistinct  bands  of  chestnut,  and  there  is  a  decided  patch 
of  that  colour  on  the  costal  margin,  near  the  tip.  The  under 
wings  are  bright  orange  above,  with  a  brown  patch  at  the 
base,  and  a  broad,  waved  black  band  nearly  parallel  with  the 
hind  margin.  This  black  band  is  more  perceptible  on  the 
under  surface  of  the  wing. 

The  caterpillar  feeds  on  several  garden-flowers,  and,  like 
many  of  its  kin,  hides  itself  by  day,  and  only  comes  from  its 
place  of  concealment  at  night.  It  has  a  particular  fancy  for 
the  crown  or  top  of  the  root,  but  will  also  eat  the  leaves.  It 
is  dull,  greyish-yellow  in  colour,  with  some  pale  streaks  on  the 
side  and  eight  bold  black  spots  on  the  back.  An  outline 
of  this  larva  is  given  at  Fig.  a.  It  is  full-fed  at  the  end  of 
spring,  when  it  burrows  into  the  ground,  and  there  changes 
into  a  brown,  smooth  chrysalis,  merging  into  the  Moth  state 
towards  the  end  of  summer. 

This  is  a  wonderfully  pretty  little  creature,  the  mottlings 
of  the  upper  wings  being  peculiarly  rich,  and  forming  an 
admirable  foil  to  the  bold  black  and  orange  of  the  under 
wings.  It  is  moderately  common  throughout  the  greater  part 
of  England.  My  own  specimens  were  taken  in  Oxfordshire, 
Wiltshire,  and  Kent. 

The  Laegek  Yellow  Underwing  {Tryphcena  pronuba), 
which  is  figured  on  Woodcut  LV.  Fig.  1,  is,  as  its  name 
implies,  considerably  larger  than  the  preceding  insect. 

Its  upper  wings  are  exceedingly  variable  in  colouring,  but 
are  always  of  some  shade  of  brown.  There  are  several  pale, 
narrow,  waving  bands  drawn  across  the  wing,  and  on  the 
upper  part  of  the  disc  a  large  kidney-shaped  black  spot  with 
a  pale  centre  and  a  chestnut  outline  ;  there  is  also  a  small 
black  spot  near  the  tip.  The  under  wings  are  orange-yellow, 
but  not  so  richly  coloured  as  in  the  preceding  insect,  and 
parallel  with  their  hind  margin  is  a  bold  black  stripe,  broad 
above  and  narrowing  below  to  a  point.     There  is  a  very  slio-ht 


480 


INSECTS  AT   HOME. 


golden  streak  on  its  costal  margin.  Beneath,  it  is  remarkable 
for  a  shining  golden  stripe  that  runs  along  the  lower  edge  of 
the  upper  pair  of  wings,  the  gold  changing  in  some  lights  to 
prismatic  effects  of  green  and  blue. 

The  caterpillar  is  another  of  the  nocturnal  larvae.  It  feeds 
upon  the  crown,  stem,  and  heart  of  various  garden  plants, 
especially  favouring  lettuces  when  they  are  tied  up  to  blanch. 
The  colour  of  the  larva  is  as  variable  as  that  of  the  perfect 


1.  Tiyphaena  pronuba.  2.  Phlogophora  meticulosa.  3.  Plusia  ciirysitis. 

a.  Trypheena,  larva.  6.  Phlogophora,  larva. 


insect,  but  is  generally  some  shade  between  olive  green  and 
brown,  and  on  the  body  are  a  variety  of  brown  and  black 
streaks,  as  may  be  seen  by  its  portrait  at  Fig.  a.  It  is  a  very 
general  feeder,  and  there  are  very  few  garden  plants  or  vege- 
tables which  escape  its  jaws.  When  full-fed,  it  forms  a  kind 
of  rude  oval  cell,  and  therein  undergoes  its  transformation 
into  the  Moth.  Both  the  caterpillar  and  Moth  are  exceedingly 
common,  and  may  be  captured  in  any  numbers. 


THE  ANGLE-SHADES  MOTH.  481 

On  Plate  XVI.  Fig.  3,  is  seen  the  Moth  which  goes  by  the 
popular  name  of  the  Pink-barked  Yellow  {Xanthia  silago). 
This  insect  belongs  to  the  large  family  of  the  Orthosidse. 

This  is  of  a  brighter  hue  than  the  last-mentioned  insect, 
the  ground  colour  of  the  upper  wings  being  yellow.-  It  is  for 
this  reason  that  the  generic  name  of  Xanthia,  or  Yellow, 
is  given  to  this  and  other  Moths  of  the  same  genus.  The 
markings  on  the  wings  are  purplish  brown,  and  the  hind  wings 
are  pale  brown,  taking  a  yellowish  hue  towards  the  hind 
margin.  There  is  a  good  deal  of  colour  about  the  body,  the 
head  and  the  front  of  the  thorax  being  dark  rust-red  with  a 
purple  gloss,  the  rest  of  the  thorax  yellow,  and  the  body  grey 
with  a  yellowish  tinge. 

The  larva  of  this  pretty  Moth  feeds  on  the  sallow,  and  the 
perfect  insect  appears  in  the  middle  of  autumn.  It  seems  to 
be  widely  spread,  though  not  very  plentiful. 

Passing  over  a  considerable  number  of  species,  we  come 
to  an  example  of  the  Hadenidse,  the  familiar  Angle-Shades 
{Phlogophora  meticulosa),  which  is  shown  on  Woodcut  LV. 
Fig.  2. 

I  have  always  felt  a  great  predilection  for  this  insect, - 
because  it  is  one  of  the  first  Moths  that  I  ever  reared.  I  had 
found  a  number  of  pupae  in  the  summer,  and  put  them  into 
a  small  box,  which  I  covered  with  stout  wire  gauze,  having  in 
those  days  some  hazy  idea  that  a  Moth  could  get  through 
muslin  or  linen.  I  had  also  made  up  my  mind  that  no  Moths 
could  emerge  until  the  following  year  ;  and  my  astonishment 
was  extreme  on  finding  one  morning  a  fine  Angle-Shades 
Moth  clinging  to  the  wire  gauze,  and  shaking  out  its  newly- 
developed  wings.  Insignificant  as  is  such  an  incident  in  itself, 
it  often  forms  a  stand-point  in  life ;  and  such  was  the  case  with 
this  Moth,  the  development  of  which  under  my  own  eye 
inspired  an  interest  in  this  branch  of  natviral  history  that  has 
never  been  and  never  will  be  forgotten. 

The  name  of  Angle-shades  is  given  to  this  Moth  on 
account  of  the  manner  in  which  the  wings  are  colom-ed.  The 
upper  wings  are  pale  grey,  tinged  either  with  ochreous  yellow 
or  olive  green.  In  the  middle  is  a  bold  marking,  shaped  much 
like  the  letter  V,  and  formed  of  several  shades  of  brown.     The 

I  I 


482  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

other  marks  of  the  wing  are  also  of  brown,  but  not  quite  so 
dark.  Tlie  edges  of  the  hind  margins  of  the  upper  wings  are 
deejDly  scalloped.  The  lower  wings  are  slightly  scalloped,  and 
are  of  a  pale  yellowish  grey  and  crossed  by  two  very  slight 
waved  bands  of  reddish  brown.  Towards  the  hind  margins 
they  are  suffused  with  a  slight  pinkish  tint.  The  thorax  is 
covered  with  long  hair,  which  in  front  stands  out  like  the 
double  ruff  of  Elizabeth's  time.  Then  comes  a  wedge-shaped 
ridge  in  the  middle  of  the  thorax,  and  then  two  rather  large 
tufts  at  the  back.  The  colour  of  these  tufts  is  soft  umber 
brown,  tipped  with  a  darker  and  warmer  brown. 

The  caterpillar  of  the  Angle-shades  is  represented  at  Fig.  b 
of  the  same  Woodcut.  Its  colour  varies  from  bright  green 
to  dark  olive  green  or  olive  brown,  profusely  sprinkled  with 
whitish  dots  not  very  well  defined.  There  are  three  greyish 
lines  along  the  body,  and  the  sf)iracles  are  white,  surrounded 
with  a  black  line.  It  feeds  on  various  herbs  and  flowers,  espe- 
cially groundsel  and  primrose,  and  is  full-fed  about  May,  when 
it  seeks  the  ground,  and  there  spins  a  very  slight  cocoon. 
There  are  two  broods  of  this  pretty  Moth — one  towards  the 
end  of  May,  and  the  other  at  the  end  of  autumn. 

The  specific  name  meticulosa  signifies  fearful  or  timorous, 
but  I  never  could  find  out  the  reason  for  giving  such  a  name 
to  the  insect.  The  Angle-shades  is  not  a  whit  more  timorous 
than  Moths  in  general,  and  though  it  has  no  distinctive 
boldness,  it  certainly  has  no  distinctive  timidity. 

On  Woodcut  LV.  Fig.  3,  is  represented  the  Moth  which  is 
appropriately  called  the  Buenished  Brass  {Plusia  chi-^'sitis), 
in  consequence  of  the  metallic  colouring  of  the  wings.  The 
specific  name  of  chrysitis,  or  gilded,  is  given  to  it  for  the 
same  reason.  This  insect  belongs  to  another  family  of  the 
Noctuas,  namely,  the  Quadrifidse  or  Plusidge. 

The  colom-  of  the  upper  wings  is  bright  golden  green,  which 
must  be  seen  in  a  side  light  before  its  beauty  can  be  properly 
distinguished.  There  is  a  large  and  nearly  triangular  blotch 
of  brown  on  the  middle  of  the  wing,  the  base  of  the  triangle 
resting  on  the  costal  margin,  another  patch  of  the  same  colour 
at  the  base,  and  a  third  on  the  inner  margin,  just  below  the 
large  triangular  patch.      These  two  often  coalesce,  as  is  the 


'  GREASE.'  483 

case  with  the  specimen  now  before  me.  The  hind  wir]f>-s  are 
greyish  brown,  and  so  is  the  body. 

The  caterpillar  is  green,  with  a  row  of  white  dots  under  the 
spiracles,  a  white  streak  above  them,  and  six  white-  marks  on 
the  back  of  each  segment.  It  assumes  a  curious  attitude  when 
at  rest,  the  front  of  the  body  being  bent  upwards,'  so  that  the 
caterpillar  only  holds  to  its  food-plant  by  its  claspers.     There 

are  two  broods  of  the  Burnished  Brass  Moth  in  the  year one 

in  the  early  summer,  and  the  other  in  the  middle  of  autumn. 
It  feeds  on  several  plants,  such  as  the  common  white  dead- 
nettle,  and  even  the  stinging-nettle. 

The  Moth,  when  preserved,  is  very  liable  to  '  grease,'  which 
will  sometimes  affect  it  to  such  a  degree  that  a  whole  row 
of  Moths  will  be  deprived  of  their  beautiful  metallic  lustre, 
the  wings  becoming  almost  uniformly  brown,  with  a  sort  of 
rusty  red  hue,  in  the  place  of  the  gold-green  which  formerly 
adorned  them.  In  such  a  case,  the  only  plan  is  to  saturate  the 
insect  with  benzole,  by  dropping  it  on  the  thorax,  and,  when  it 
is  completely  steeped,  even  to  the  tips  of  the  wings,  in  that 
useful  but  mal-odorous  liquid,  to  let  it  dry  in  a  strong 
draught.  The  most  effective  mode  of  doing  this  is  to  open  a 
window  about  an  inch  and  a  half,  pin  the  insect  under  the 
window,  and  then  leave  the  door  open.  In  the  winter  time, 
the  tire  will  cause  sufficient  draught.  The  Moth  should  be 
fixed  with  its  head  pointing  to  the  interior  of  the  room,  so 
tliat  the  in-rushing  air  may  blow  up  the  downy  plumage  of  the 
body  and  prevent  it  from  being  plastered  down,  as  often  is  the 
case  if  this  precaution  be  not  taken. 

To  the  same  pretty  genus  belong  several  other  well-known 
Moths,  such  as  the  Silver  Y  {Plusia  gamma),  so  easily  recog- 
nised by  the  bright  silver  mark  in  the  middle  of  the  upper 
wings,  closely  resembling  the  English  letter  Y  or  the  Greek 
letter  gamma  (7).  Then  there  is  the  Beautiful  Golden  Y 
{Plusia  pulchrina),  the  upper  wings  of  which  have  a  Y-Hke 
mark  of  burnished  golden  scales,  and  below  it  a  round  spot  of  the 
same  colour.  Another  of  these  Moths  is  the  Gold.  Spangle 
{Plusia  bractea),  in  which  the  upper  wings  have  on  the  disc  a 
moderately  large  and  nearly  square  spot,  which  looks  as  if  a 
patch  of  gold-leaf  had  been  placed  on  the  wing,  and  brilliantly 
burnished. 

I  i2 


484  INSECTS   AT   HOME. 

If  the  reader  will  refer  to  Woodcut  XL VIII.  on  page  449, 
and  Fig.  1,  he  will  see  a  portrait  of  the  well-known  Herald 
Moth  {Gonopteryx  libatrix),  our  only  British  representative  of 
the  family  Gonopteridse. 

Even  were  not  the  colour  of  this  insect  so  conspicuous,  it 
could  at  once  be  identified  by  the  shape  of  its  upper  wings, 
the  hinder  margins  of  which  are  deeply  cut  and  scalloped,  very 
much  like  those  of  the  Comma  Butterfly,  which  has  been  de- 
scribed on  page  397.  The  colour  of  the  upper  wings  is  soft 
brown-grey,  with  a  downy  surface,  and  slightly  powdered  with 
rust-red.  On  the  middle  of  the  wing  is  a  broad  dash  of  bright 
rust-red  reaching  as  far  as  the  base,  and  having  a  tiny,  but 
conspicuous  spot  of  pure  white  in  its  middle.  Parallel  with 
the  hind  margin  a  whitish-grey  line  runs  across  the  wing  and 
has  a  narrow,  pale  brown  streak  accompanying  it.  The  front 
of  the  thorax  is  furnished  with  a  ruff  of  long,  soft  down,  of 
the  same  rust-red  as  that  of  the  wing.  The  rest  of  the  body 
and  the  lower  wings  are  greyish-brown.  The  caterpillar,  which 
is  shown  at  Fig.  a,  is  green,  with  a  narrow  grey  streak  along 
the  sides.  It  feeds  on  the  Sallow,  and  when  full-fed  spins  a 
cocoon  within  two  or  three  of  the  leaves,  which  it  draws  together 
with  silk. 

The  popular  name  of  Herald  is  given  to  this  Moth  because 
it  appears  at  the  end  of  autumn,  and  is  supposed  to  be  the 
herald  of  the  coming  ■winter.  Though  feeding  in  the  open  air, 
it  has  a  singular  predilection  for  the  habitations  of  man,  and 
contrives  to  make  its  way  into  stables,  outhouses,  and  even  into 
houses  that  are  inhabited.  It  is  one  of  the  commonest  of  the 
many  window  Moths,  and  often  causes  great  consternation 
among  thrifty  but  ignorant  housewives,  who  think  that  it  has 
come  for  the  purpose  of  eating  their  woollen  clothes,  their  furs, 
and  their  feathers,  and  that,  as  it  is  so  much  larger  than  the 
common  Clothes  Moth,  it  wiir  eat  so  much  the  more.  The 
name  of  Gronoptera,  or  Angle-winged,  refers  to  the  bold 
scalloping  of  the  upper  wings. 

Mr.  Newman  remarks  that  these  Moths  often  make  up  their 
minds  to  hibernate  almost  immediately  after  they  have  passed 
from  the  pupal  shell,  and  that  in  that  case,  when  they  have 
settled  in  a  house,  they  remain  in  the  same  spot  until  the  fol- 
lowing spring,  passing  the  whole  of  the  time  in  a  state  of 
torpidity. 


THE  EED   UNDERWINGS.  485 

Just  as  one  group  of  Moths  is  popularly  termed  the  Yellow 
Underwings,  so  is  another  termed  the  Red  Underwings,  the 
ground  colour  of  their  lower  wings  being  brilliant  red. 

The  first  of  these*  splendid  insects  is  the  Red  Underwing 
{Gatocala  nupta),  which  is  represented  on  Woodcut  XL VIII. 
Fig.  2.  This  is  one  of  the  largest  and  handsomest  of  the  group, 
though  its  colours  are  not  quite  so  brilliant  as  that  of  another 
species  whicli  will  be  presently  mentioned. 

The  upper  wings  are  grey  with  a  slight  yellowish  tint,  and 
profusely  covered  with  waved  bars  and  other  marks  of  black, 
nearly  every  such  mark  being  accompanied  by  a  grey  bar  of 
similar  sliape.  The  under  wings  are  red,  diversified  with  two 
black  bars,  one,  a  very  broad  one,  parallel  to  the  hind  margin, 
and  another,  a  comparatively  narrow  and  much  curved  bar, 
running  across  the  middle  of  the  wing.  Beneath,  the  upper 
wings  are  white,  crossed  by  three  broad  black  bars,  and  the  lower 
wings  are  similarly  coloured,  but  warming  into  light  red  towards 
the  inner  margin,  and  having  two  bars  across  them. 

The  caterpillar  is  grey  in  colour,  not  unlike  the  hue  of  the 
upper  wings  of  the  perfect  insect,  and  sometimes  has  two  black 
waved  stripes  on  the  back.  I  never  saw  this  caterpillar,  but 
Mr.  Newman's  account  of  its  habits  is  so  admirable  that  I 
transfer  it  to  these  pages : — 

'  It  feeds  on  the  Crack  Willow  {Salix  fragllis),  and,  when 
closely  adherent  to  the  bark,  is  almost  impossible  to  detect.  I 
have  sometimes  found  it  by  passing  my  hand  gently  over  the 
surface  of  the  bark  about  a  foot  below  the  branches  of  a  pollard 
willow,  when  its  cold,  soft  feel  at  once  betrayed  it.  It  spins  a 
network  cocoon  among  the  leaves,  or  in  a  crevice  of  the  bark 
about  Midsummer,  and  changes  to  a  smooth  chrysalis  covered 
with  a  purple  bloom.' 

The  perfect  insect  appears  about  August ;  and,  though  it 
may  be  common,  it  is  not  often  seen,  owing  to  its  mode  of 
concealment.  It  carries  into  its  perfect  state  one  of  its  cater- 
pillar habits,  and  has  a  way  of  settling  on  the  trunks  of  willow 
trees  and  closing  its  wings.  In  this  position  the  splendid  red 
under  wings  are  completely  hidden  by  the  sombrely  tinted 
upper  pair,  which  so  exactly  resemble  the  colour  of  the  bark 
that,  even  when  the  Moth  is  pointed  out,  very  few  can  dis- 
tinguish it.     I  well  remember  the  first  time  of  discovering  one 


486  INSECTS   AT  HOME. 

of  these  beautiful  Moths.  I  was  going  to  bathe  in  the  river 
Cherwell,  near  Oxford,  a  river  which  is  bordered  with  willows. 
I  happened  to  place  my  hand  on  the  trunk  of  one  of  the  wil- 
lows, when  out  bounced  a  grand  Eed  Underwing,  startling  me 
as  much  as  a  novice  in  shooting  is  startled  by  his  first  pheasant. 
I  afterwards  found  that  the  Moths  were  tolerably  plentiful  upon 
these  trees. 

The  generic  name  Catocala  is  formed  from  the  Greek,  and 
signifies  something  which  is  beautiful  beneath.  The  name  has 
been  given  to  these  insects  because  their  chief  beauty  lies  in 
the  under  wings,  which  are  hidden  beneath  the  upper  pair  when 
the  Moth  is  at  rest. 

On  the  Frontispiece  may  be  seen  a  portrait  of  a  smaller  but 
more  richly  coloured  species,  called  the  Light  Ckimson  Under- 
wing {Catocala  promissa). 

In  this  fine  Moth,  the  upper  wings  are  coloured  much  like 
those  of  the  preceding  species,  but  the  marblings  are  much 
richer  and  more  clearly  defined,  and  on  the  middle  of  the  wing 
there  is  a  decided  ochreous  tinge.  There  is  censiderable 
variation  in  the  aforesaid  markings.  Tlie  ground  colour  of 
the  lower  wings  is  crimson,  with  a  very  broad  black  band 
following  the  hind  margin,  and  a  narrow  band  crossing  the 
middle,  and  almost  angular  in  its  form. 

The  caterpillar  feeds  on  the  oak,  and  is  greenish-grey  in  colour, 
and  covered  with  tubercles  of  a  warmer  hue.  '  It  is  full-fed  in 
Junej  and  spins  a  web  among  the  leaves,  appearing  as  a  perfect 
insect  in  a  month  or  so.  This  is  not  nearly  so  common  an 
insect  as  the  Eed  Underwing,  but  has  been  found  in  most  of 
the  southern  counties  of  England,  the  New  Forest  being  noted 
as  its  best  locality. 

To  the  same  genus  belongs  that  magnificent  insect  which  is  so 
very  common  in  France  and  so  very  rare  in  England,  the  Clifden 
Nonpareil  {Catocala  fraxini).  This  Moth  can  at  once  be 
recognised  by  its  superior  size  and  the  colour  of  its  under  wings, 
which  are  black,  with  a  broad  band  of  bluish  grey  drawn  through 
their  centre.  It  is  believed  by  many  practical  entomologists 
that  this  insect  does  not  rightly  belong  to  England,  but  that 
those  few  specimens  which  have  been  taken  within  the  limits 
of  our  island  have  been  blown  across  the  Channel  from  their 
legitimate  home  in  France. 


CHAPTER  V. 

DELTOIDES,   PYRALIDES,  AND   CRAMBITES. 

I  VERT  much  regret  that  there  should  be  no  simpler  words 
which  can  be  substituted  for  those  which  head  this  chapter. 
There  are,  however,  none  whatever,  so  we  must  be  content  to 
use  the  terms  which  are  adopted  by  the  best  entomologists  of 
the  time.  Indeed,  the  only  group  of  which  it  is  even  possible 
to  form  a  simple  English  word  which  fully  expresses  the  cha- 
racter of  the  insects,  is  the  first,  which  literally  signifies 
Delta-like,  and  may  be  freely  translated  as  Delta-Moths,  be- 
cause when  the  insects  are  at  rest,  their  wings  assimie  a  shape 
■which  bears  some  resemblance  to  the  Greek  letter  Delta  (A). 
All  the  above-mentioned  insects  are  small,  but  the  number 
of  species  is  enormous,  for  they  reckon  among  their  ranks 
more  species  than  all  the  groups  which  have  heretofore  been 
described.  As  is  the  case  with  the  Noctuse,  the  Moths  of 
each  group  bear  a  great  resemblance  to  each  other,  and 
much  afflict  the  mind  of  the  collector  by  their  prevailing 
similitude.  At  first,  the  collector  finds  himself  utterly  be- 
wildered, when  brought  in  contact  with  a  number  of  these 
Moths,  and  a  feeling  of  despair  seizes  upon  him.  He  feels  much 
as  if  a  flock  of  sheep  were  brought  before  him,  and  he  were 
required  to  distinguish  and  name  every  animal.  However,  re- 
membering that  a  good  shepherd  actually  does  know  by  sight 
every  sheep  in  his  flock,  and  that  his  eye  can  seize  upon  little 
points  of  difference  which  are  absolutely  invisible  to  the  un- 
initiated, he  sets  determinately  to  work,  and  after  a  little  while 
feels  that  he  is  beginning  to  make  his  way. 

First,  after  long  and  careful  examination,  he  picks  out  one 
individual,  and  succeeds  in  finding  the  points  in  which  it  differs 
from  its  fellows.  Having  done  this,  he  is  able  to  refer  it  to  its 
proper  place  in  the  list,  and  then  finds  but  little  difficulty  in 


488  INSECTS   AT  HOME. 

picking  out  any  other  specimens  that  belong  to  the  same  species. 
Half  his  task  is  now  over,  and  he  is  able  in  a  comparatively 
short  time  to  detect  in  the  other  Moths  those  distinctions  which 
his  predecessors  have  already  noticed,  and  by  means  of  which 
their  species  is  ascertained.  In  fact,  just  as  the  above-men- 
tioned shepherd  learns  to  know  by  sight,  and  even  by  name, 
every  member  of  a  large  flock  of  sheep,  which  to  the  eye  of  a 
stranger  are  exactly  alike,  so  does  the  entomologist  gain  the 
power  of  seeing  at  once  the  differences  that  exist  in  insects 
which  to  an  unaccustomed  eye  seem  to  have  no  marks  of  dis- 
tinction at  all. 

One  example  of  the  Deltoides  will  be  sufficient  for  our  present 
purpose,  and  we  will  select  the  Banded  Si^OTiT^Hypena  rostralis), 
which  is  represented  in  the  central  figure  of  Woodcut  LVI. 

This  is  one  of  the  Moths  which  have  received  the  popular 
nam.e  of  Snouts  on  account  of  the  extremely  elongated  palpi, 
which  project  in  front  of  the  head  so  as  to  look  very  much  like 
a  proboscis.  The  antennae  of  these  insects  are  simple  in  the 
females  and  tufted  in  the  males  ;  their  bodies  are  slender  and 
furnished  with  a  tuft  on  the  first  segment. 

The  present  species  has  the  upper  wings  of  a  yellowish-brown, 
crossed  with  a  dark,  grey-edged  band.  It  is  a  common  Moth, 
and  one  of  the  earliest  to  appear  in  spring.  The  caterpillar  is 
long  and  slender,  hairy,  and  when  full-fed  spins  a  silken  web 
among  leaves  and  then  changes  into  a  long  and  slender  pupa, 
having  the  head  portion  much  elongated  in  order  to  contain 
the  '  snout '  or  elongated  palpi.  There  are  three  species  be^ 
longing  to  this  genus,  one  of  which,  called  par  excellence  The 
Snotjt  {Hypena  proboscidalis),  has  the  upper  wings  boldly 
hooked  at  the  tips ;  and  another,  called,  by  a  remarkable 
collocation  of  words,  the  Beautiful  Snout  {Hypena  crassalis), 
has  the  upper  wings  dark  brown,  with  a  patch  of  creamy  white 
at  the  base,  and  a  rather  paler  border,  in  which  are  a  number  of 
little  black  spots,  each  surrounded  by  a  ring  of  cream-white. 

The  largest  and  the  finest  species,  named  The  Snout,  is  drawn 
on  Plate  XVII.  Fig.  1.  It  may  at  once  be  recognised  by  the 
peculiarity  which  has  already  been  mentioned,  namely,  the 
bold,  hooked  tips  of  the  upper  wings.  Their  colour  is  yellow- 
ish-brown, and  the  markings  are  dark-brown.   The  lower  wings 


MEAL-MOTHS  AND  PEARL-MOTHS. 


489 


are  simply  pale-brown.  The  elongated  and  odd-looking  larva 
of  tliis  species  is  sho\vn  at  Fig.  2  of  the  same  Plate.  Its 
proper  food  is  the  common  stinging-nettle. 


Next  come  the  Pyralides,  which  some  authors  class  with 
the  preceding  insects.     They  include,  among  other  insects,  the 


1.  Hypena  rostralis. 
4.  Ennychia  octomaculalis. 


»  rr  -  ^ 


2.  Pyrilis  farinalis.  3.  Aglossa  pingninali  ■. 

a.  Larva  of  Hsdrocampa  stagnalis.  6.  Do.  in  its  leaf-case. 


Meal-Moths,  and  the  beautiful  group  of  Pearl-Moths,  so  called 
because  the  surface  of  their  wings  has  a  peculiar  sheen,  much 
resembling  that  of  mother-of-pearl. 

We  will  begin  with  the  small  group  scientifically  called 
Pulverulentse,  and  popularly  Meal-Moths,  because  their  larvae 
feed  on  meal,  flour,  and  similar  food.  I  have  often  wondered 
what  such  larvae  fed  upon  before  men  discovered  the  cultivation 
of  corn,  and  the  process  of  grinding  it*  into  flour.     They  must 


490  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

have  fed  upon  something,  and  yet  it  is  not  easy  to  conjecture 
what  that  something  was,  for  there  is  nothing  in  nature  analo- 
gous to  flour  or  meah 

On  Woodcut  LVI.  Fig.  2,  is  shown  one  of  those  cuiious 
insects,  the  common  Meal-JMoth  (Pyralis  farinalis).  In  these 
Moths  the  wings  have  a  gloss  on  the  surface,  are  rather  long 
and  narrow,  and,  when  the  insect  is  at  rest,  fall  into  a  trian- 
gular form.  The  antennae  of  the  males  are  hairy  beneath, 
while  those  of  the  females  are  plain. 

This  very  pretty  little  Moth  has  the  upper  wings  dark  brown, 
variegated  with  yellowish  bars,  as  shown  in  the  illustration. 
The  figure  is  rather  magnified,  in  order  to  bring  out  its  mark- 
ings more  distinctly,  and  the  same  is  the  case  with  most, 
though  not  all,  of  the  remaining  Moths. 

Only  three  British  species  of  the  genus  are  known,  the  most 
familiar  of  which  is  the  Double-Bak  Meal  Moth  [Pyralis 
glaucinalis).  It  is  less  than  the  preceding  species,  and  is 
scarcely  so  pretty.  The  colour  of  the  wings  is  brown,  across 
which  are  drawn  two  bands  of  a  paler  hue. 

On  the  same  Woodcut,  at  Fig.  3,  is  drawn  the  too  familiar 
Tabby  Moth  {Aglossa  pinguinalis). 

The  Moth  is  rather  a  pretty  one.  Its  upper  wings  are  yel- 
lowish-brown, with  a  very  dark  and  nearly  black  patch  at  the 
base  of  each  wing,  and  a  broad  stripe  of  the  same  colour  run- 
ning parallel  with  the  hind  margin,  and  much  wider  above 
than  below.  A  narrow  white  streak  divides  the  dark  from  the 
lighter  portions  of  the  wing.  The  lower  wings  are  of  the 
same  pale  dun  as  the  upper  pair,  but  they  are  without  the 
dark  markings,  and  have  only  two  jagged  narrow  streaks  of 
white  near  them.  When  the  wings  are  expanded,  these  marks 
look  as  if  they  were  continuations  of  the  corresponding  marks 
of  the  upper  wings. 

This  may  almost  take  rank  as  one  of  the  Clothes  Moths,  as 
in  the  larval  state  it  feeds  on  old  and  greasy  clothing.  Grease, 
indeed,  seems  to  be  a  necessity  with  this  insect,  which  delights 
especially  in  old  horse-rugs  that  are  neglected  by  careless 
grooms.  The  specific  name  of  pinguinalis  signifies  fatty  or 
greasy,  and  is  given  to  the  species  on  account  of  the  substances 
on  which  the  larva  feeds. 


THE  WHITE-SPOT  MOTH.  491 

The  caterpillar,  which  does  the  mischief,  is  a  brown  creature 
with  a  hard  and  horny  skin,  and  having  a  head  darker  than  the 
rest  of  the  body.  Like  the  ordinary  Clothes  Moths,  it  does  not 
meddle  with  articles  that  are  either  in  common  use  or  that  are 
carefully  aired  and  looked  after.  But,  should  a  groom  throw  a 
horse-rug  into  a  corner,  and  let  it  lie- there  for  several  days, 
the  larvte  of  the  Tabby  Moth  find  their  opportunity,  and  make 
sad  havoc  with  the  cloth.  When  full-fed  the  larva  makes  a 
slight  cocoon,  and  therein  undergoes  its  transformations. 

This  genus  of  Moths  receives  the  name  of  Aglossa,  or  tongue- 
less,  from  the  fact  that  the  maxillae,  which  when  united  form 
the  proboscis  or  tongue,  are  almost  entirely  absent.  The  an- 
tennse  of  the  male  are  doubly  feathered.  Like  the  Meal- 
Moths,  these  insects  are  found  abundantly  in  and  about  out- 
houses. There  is  only  one  other  British  species  of  this  genus, 
namely,  the  Small  Tabby  {Aglossa  cuprecdis).  As  its  name 
implies,  this  is  a  smaller  species.  The  wings  are  of  a  light- 
brown  colour,  and  across  them  are  drawn  some  indistinct  bands 
of  coppery-brown.  It  is  as  common  as  its  larger  relative,  and 
the  larva  possesses  similar  habits. 

Next  comes  an  example  of  another  family,  the  Luridas  or 
Ennychidse.  This  is  the  rare  and  conspicuous  White-Spot 
{Ennychia  octomaculalis),  a  figure  of  which  is  given  on 
Woodcut  LVI.  Fig.  4.  In  this  genus  the  antennae  are  slender, 
and  long  in  proportion  to  the  insect,  and  the  palpi,  which 
are  not  quite  so  long  as  the  head,  are .  united,  so  as  to  form  a 
sort  of  beak. 

This  is  one  of  the  few  Pyralides  which  it  is  impossible  to 
mistake.  Both  pairs  of  wings  are  deep-black,  and  on  each 
wing  are  two  whitish-yellow  spots  with  boldly  defined  outlines. 
The  hind  margins  of  the  wings  have  a  delicate  white  fringe, 
which  on  the  inner  margin  of  the  lower  wings  becomes 
very  long  and  has  an  exceedingly  pretty  effect,  as  it  contrasts 
with  the  deep-black  of  the  wing  which  it  edges.  The  body  is 
black,  and  the  abdomen  has  each  segment  marked  by  a  very 
narrow,  but  very  distinct  white  line,  scarcely  wider  than  if 
scratched  with  a  needle-point.  There  is  scarcely  any  differ- 
ence in  the  colouring  of  either  surface,  except  that  on  the 
lower  wings  the  two  white  spots  coalesce. 


492  INSECTS  AT   HOME. 

This  singularly  pretty  little  Moth  has  been  found  in  most 
parts  of  England,  but  in  none  does  it  appear  to  be  common. 
The  specimen  from  which  the  above  description  is  taken  is 
from  my  Oxford  collection,  the*insect  having  been  captured  in 
Bagley  Wood.  I  had  at  one  time  four  or  five  of  the  White- 
Spot  Moth,  all  taken  in  the  same  locality. 

Now  we  come  to  a  very  extraordinary  creatiu'e. 

There  is  one  family  of  Moths,  comprising  only  four  species, 
the  larvce  of  which  are  dwellers  in  the  water,  thus  trespassing 
on  the  domains  of  other  orders  of  insects.  There  is  a  group 
of  Moths  popularly  called  China  Marks,  because  the  general 
character  of  the  surface  of  the  wing  and  its  markings  has  very 
much  of  a  porcelain  character  about  it.  The  typical  species 
is  Hydrocartvpa  sto^gnaUs.  In  all  these  Moths,  the  female  is 
considerably  larger  than  the  male,  and  is  rather  variable  in  her 
colouring,  so  that  the  older  entomologists  have  in  several  cases 
considered  the  sexes  as  forming  distinct  species.  The  male 
has'  no  feathering  to  the  antennae,  and  the  palpi  are  short, 
close  together,  and  directed  upwards. 

The  Moths  are  pretty  little  creatures,  but  the  chief  interest 
of  the  insect  lies  in  the  larva,  which  has  a  mode  of  existence 
that  seems  quite  opposed  to  the  whole  character  of  the  Lepi- 
doptera.  The  caterpillars  feed  upon  aquatic  plants,  and  in 
some  species  are  absolutely  sub-aquatic  themselves.  It  is 
evident  that  the  respiratory  apparatus  of  such  larvae  cannot  be 
formed  like  that  of  ordinary  caterpillars,  which  breathe  atmo- 
spheric air  through  spiracles  and  breathing  tubes.  Accord- 
ingly, these  larvEe,  like  those  of  the  caddis,  the  May-flies,  and 
one  or  two  beetles,  such  as  the  whirliwig,  all  of  which  have 
been  described  in  the  course  of  this  work,  are  furnished  with 
gill-like  filam.ents  along  their  sides,  by  means  of  which  they 
extract  the  oxygen  from  the  water  just  as  fishes  do. 

This  is  a  most  wonderful  fact,  and  almost  without  a  parallel 
in  entomology.  There  is  one  species  of  Ichneumon-fly,  called 
Agriotypus  armatus,  which  is  so  far  aquatic  in  its  character 
that  it  crawls  down  the  sides  of  stones  and  water-plants  to  a 
considerable  depth,  evidently  for  the  purpose  of  laying  its 
eggs  in  some  aquatic  larva.  It  really  seems  to  be  fond  of 
diving  for  its  own  sake,  and  if  kept  in  an  aquarium  will  sub- 


THE   BEAUTIFUL  CHINA   MARK.  493 

merge  itself  for  a  considerable  time,  the  appearance  of  a  hymen- 
opterous  insect  beneath  the  surface  of  the  water  being  most 
extraordinary,  and  always  exciting  the  admiration  and  surprise 
of  those  who  have  any  practical  knowledge  of  insects.  But, 
that  a  caterpillar  should  actually  pass  its  life  under  the  water 
is  still  more  contrary  to  all  preconceived  opinions,  and  the  idea 
of  a  water-caterpillar  is  not  one  whit  more  abnormal  than  that 
of  a  water-butterfly.  The  name  Hydrocampa  is  formed  from 
two  Greek  words,  literally  signifying  water-caterpillar,  and 
is  given  to  this  genus  of  Moths  in  consequence  of  the  aquatic 
life  of  the  larva. 

On  Woodcut  LVI.  Fig.  a,  is  drawn  one  of  these  larvge,  being 
the  preliminary  stage  of  a  Moth  called  scientifically  Hijdro- 
campa  stagnalis.  This  larva  feeds  upon  the  common  duck- 
weed {Lemna).  It  does  not  crawl  freely  upon  this  vegetable, 
but  remains  submerged,  and  protects  itself  after  the  manner  of 
the  caddis,  which  it  so  closely  resembles  in  many  of  its  habits, 
by  means  of  a  case  constructed  from  the  epidermis  of  the  pond- 
weed  {Potamogeton).  From  the  under  surface  of  the  broad, 
floating  leaves  of  this  plant,  the  larva  strips  off  a  sufficiency 
to  form  a  kind  of  tent,  in  which  it  resides,  very  much  as  do 
the  caterpillars  of  several  British  Moths  with  the  leaves  of  the 
oak  and  other  trees.  At  Fig.  6,  is  seen  this  caterpillar,  with 
the  head  and  legs  just  protruding  from  its  case,  which,  being 
of  the  same  colour  as  the  aquatic  plants,  serves  for  conceal- 
ment as  well  as  for  protection. 

The  Moths  themselves  are  very  common,  and  can  be  taken 
in  plenty  on  the  banks  of  ponds  and  any  wet  places  where 
duck-weed,  pond-weed,  and  water-lilies  grow.  The  perfect 
insect  is  shown  on  Woodcut  LVII.  Fig.  1.  It  is  popularly 
known  as  the  Beautiful  China  Mark,  and  well  deserves  "its 
name.  The  ground  colour  of  the  wings  is  pearly-white,  and 
on  these  are  traced  a  number  of  soft  brown  lines,  the  most 
conspicuous  of  which  is  a  mark  near  the  tip  of  the  upper 
wings,  somewhat  resembling  the  letter  Y  with  the  angle 
rounded. 

We  next  come  to  the  Pearl-  Moths,  which  have  already  been 
casually  mentioned,  and  which  are  placed  in  the  genus  Botys. 
A  much  more  appropriate  and  withal  intelligible  name  was 


494 


INSECTS  AT  HOME. 


suggested  by  Mr.  Stephens,  namely  Margaritia,  from  the  Greek 
word  Margarites,  which  signifies  a  pearl.  By  the  way,  it  is 
evident  that  brunettes  should  never  be  named  Margaret,  the 
name  being  as  inappropriate  as  Blanche  or  Lily. 

The  name,  however,  has  been  reluctantly  rejected  by  ento- 
mologists, because  the  name  of  Botys,  given  to  these  Moths  by 
Latreille,  has  the  priority,  and  entomologists  are  obliged  to  be 

JuYK 


^<'J^  ^ 


1.  Hydrocampa  stagnalis. 

4,  Stenopteryx  bybridalis. 


2.  Botys  nrticalis. 
.  Botys,  larva. 


3.  Spilodes  cinctalis. 
6.  Spilodes,  larva. 


as  jealous  of  priority  as  are  officers  of  seniority.  It  does  not 
matter  who  invents  a  name,  or  how  appropriate — or  the  con- 
trary— it  may  be.  That  name  which  is  first  published  has  the 
priority,  and  that  name  will  be  accepted  ever  afterwards. 
There  is  only  one  chance  of  deposing  an  old  and  inappropriate 
name  in  favour  of  a  newer  and  better,  namely,  to  prove  that 
the  old  name  has  clearly  been  anticipated  in  some  branch  of. 
zoology.     If  such  anticipation  -can  be  shown  beyond  contra- 


THE  MOTHER  OF  PEARL.  495 

diction,  the  older  name  is  by  common  consent  abandoned,  and 
the  next  in  seniority  takes  its  place.  There  are,  of  course, 
some  disadvantages  in  this  system,  but  they  are  enormously  over- 
borne by  its  advantages,  for,  without  some  such  system,  there 
would  be  no  fixed  nomenclature  of  insects,  and  every  one  who 
thought  that  he  could  improve  upon  a  name  would  do  so,  and 
the  result  would  be  an  inextricable  confusion,  which  every 
year  would  augment. 

In  the  genus  Botys,  the  body  is  larger  than  the  wings,  and 
both  pairs  are  marked  in  a  similar  manner. 

The  colour  of  this  pretty  little  Moth  is  pearly-white,  on 
which  are  a  number  of  dark  markings  arranged  as  shown  in  the 
illustration  on  Woodcut  LVII.  Fig.  2.  The  popular  name  of 
this  insect  is  the  Mother  of  Pearl,  and  its  scientific  name  is 
Botys  urticalis. 

Although  the  general  character  of  these  marks  is  the  same 
in  all  species,  there  is  some  variation  in  different  specimens, 
both  in  their  arrangement  and  depth  of  tint.  In  colour  they 
are  nearly  black,  but  if  viewed  by  a  side  light,  a  purplish 
metallic  gloss  is  seen  upon  them,  being  best  defined  along  the 
costal  margin  of  the  upper  wings.  Both  surfaces  are  coloured 
in  much  the  same  manner,  but  on  the  under  surface  the  marks 
are  not  so  dark,  and  the  purple  gloss  is  more  conspicuous, 
especially  on  the  lower  wings.  When  closed,  the  wings  assume 
a  heart-like  shape,  and  usually  look  very  round,  as  if  a  flat 
plate  of  thin  mother  of  pearl  had  been  cut  into  the  shape  of  a 
heart,  and  carefully  painted  with  dark  spots.  The  thorax  is 
bright  golden-yellow,  the  abdomen  is  black,  each  segment  being 
edged  with  yellow,  and  there  is  a  tuft  of  yellow  hairs  at  the  end 
of  the  tail. 

The  caterpillar  is  one  of  the  numerous  nettle-feeders.  It  is 
thicker  in  the  middle  than  at  the  ends,  and  so  thin-skinned 
that  it  has  a  semi-transparent  appearance  when  viewed  against 
the  light.  Its  colour  is  whitish-grey  on  the  back,  relieved  by 
a  central  black  line,  and  the  sides  are  green.  This  larva  is 
shown  at  Fig.  a  on  Woodcut  LVII.  It  draws  together  the 
leaves  of  the  nettle  with  silken  threads,  and  so  feeds  in  conceal- 
ment.    There  are  ten  species  of  this  pretty  genus. 

On  Woodcut  LVII.  Fig.  3,  is  seen  the  Moth  which  is  po- 
pularly called  the  Lesser  Pearl  {Spilodes  cinctalis). 


496  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

By  the  older  entomological  writers  this  insect  was  comprised 
in  the  same  genus  with  the  preceding  insect.  It  has  now, 
however,  been  placed  in  a  different  genus,  and  that  for  two 
reasons.  The  first  lies  in  the  shape  of  the  wings,  which  are 
much  deeper  in  proportion  than  those  of  the  insects  belonging 
to  the  genus  Botys  ;  and  the  second  is  the  appearance  of  the 
wings,  which  do  not  possess  the  delicate,  pearly  translucency 
which  is  so  characteristic  of  these  Moths,  but  are  quite 
opaque,  their  opacity  being  due  to  a  very  dense  layer  of  white 
scales  on  the  under  surface. 

The  general  character  of  the  markings  can  be  seen  by  refer- 
ence to  the  illustration.  The  darker  portions  are,  however,  of 
various  degrees  of  depth,  and  the  light  portions  are  glossy 
cream-white,  sometimes  taking  a  yellow  tinge.  The  generic 
name  Spilodes  is  taken  from  the  Grreek,  and  signifies  anything 
that  is  spotted.  The  specific  name,  cinctalis,  or  banded, 
alludes  to  the  manner  in  which  the  spots  are  arranged,  so  as  to 
form  almost  continuous  bands. 

The  caterpillar  of  this  insect  is  seen  at  Fig.  b. 

Another  pretty  insect,  belonging  to  the  same  genus,  is  the 
Diamond  Spot  {Spilodes  sticticalis). 

This  little  Moth  is  brown,  the  upper  wings  being  much 
darker  than  the  lower,  and  having  a  conspicuous  spot  of  pure 
white  near  the  tip.  It  is  a  rare  Moth,  but  has  been  taken  in 
many  parts  of  England,  always  appearing  about  September.  The 
caterpillar  is  shaped  like  that  of  the  preceding  species,  and  is 
green,  having  along  its  back  a  dark  line  edged  with  yellow, 
and  some  streaks  of  the. same  colour  at  the  sides.  It  feeds  on 
the  field-southernwood  {Artemisia  caTnpestHs)  or  the  mugwort 
(Artemisia  vulgaris). 

We  now  come  to  the  last  group  of  the  Pyralides.  These 
insects  have  been  termed  Plicatae,  or  folded,  because  when 
the  insect  is  at  rest  the  wings  are  folded  closely  against  the 
body. 

One  example  of  this  group  will  serve  our  purpose,  namely, 
the  EusT  Veneer  {Stenopteryx  hybridalis).  There  is  only 
one  British  genus  of  these  insects,  and  the  name  of  Stenopteryx 
or  '  Shortwing '  has  been  given  to  it,  not  so  much  because  the 
wings  are  exceptionally  short,  as  because  the  abdomen  is  ex- 


THE  PEARL-STKEAK   VENEEE.  497 

ceptionally  long,  makiDg  the  wiugs  look  short  in  proiDortion. 
This  insect  is  drawn, on  Wocdcut  LVII.  Fig.  4. 

The  upper  wings  of  this  species  are  rather  narrow,  and  their 
colour  is  brown,  with  some  rather  large  spots  of  a  deeper 
brown.  The  lower  wings  are  plain  grey-brown.  When  ^he 
insect  is  in  repose,  the  upper  wings  overlap  each  other,  the 
end  of  the  abdomen  just  appearing  beyond  them.  The  male 
is  distinguished  by  having  his  antennae  feathered,  while  those 
of  the  female  are  plain  and  thread-like.  Although  this  is  a 
very  common  IMoth,  I  can  find  no  mention  of  the  larva,  and  do 
not  myself  know  it. 

The  next  group  of  Moths  which  comes  before  us  is  called 
Crambites,  this  name  being  apparently  derived  from  a  Grreek 
word  signifying  a  kind  of  caterpillar.  Whether  or  not  this  is 
the  case  I  cannot  say,  but  the  word  has  long  been  accepted  by 
entomologists.  The  reader  will  notice  that  all  Moths  which 
belong  to  this  group  have  their  specific  names  ending  in 
'ellus'  or  'ella,'  according  to  the  gender  of  the 'generic  name. 

We  will  begin  with  an  example  of  the  typical  genus,  namely, 
the  Peael-streak  Veneer  {Gramhus  hamellus).  It  is  drawn 
on  Woodcut  LVIII.  Fig.  2.  In  all  the  insects  belonging  to 
this  genus,  the  labial  palpi  are  very  long,  and  at  first  sight 
look  very  much  like  a  beak,  or  short  proboscis.  The  upper 
wings  are  long,  narrow,  and  convoluted  in  repose,  and  the 
antenna  are  thread-like. 

This  beautiful  little  Moth  is  rather  gaily  coloured.  The 
ground  hue  of  its  upper  wings  is  rich  dark  brown,  and 
parallel  with  the  costal  margin  and  just  below  it  is  drawn  a 
narrow  streak  of  pearly  white,  from  which  its  popular  name  is 
derived.  The  hind  margins  of  the  wings  are  yellow,  that 
colour  being  separated  from  the  brown  by  a  dark,  wavy  bar. 
The  lower  wings  are  much  lighter  in  colour  than  the  ujDper 
pair,  and  not  nearly  so  handsome,  their  colour  being  pale 
grey-brown,  with  an  edging  of  yellow  like  that  of  the  upper 
pair. 

It  is  not  a  very  common  Moth,  but  can  be  taken  in  open 
places  in  woods  by  beating  the  bushes.  It  makes  its  appear- 
ance in  the  very  midst  of  summer. 

K  K 


498  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

On  Woodcut  LVIII.  Fig.  3,  is  shown  an  example  of  the 
family  Chilidse — a  word  which  by  rights  ought  to  be  spelt 
as  Cheilidse.  It  is  derived  from  a  Grreek  word  signifying  a  beak 
or  snout,  and  is  given  to  these  insects  because  the  labial  palpi 
are  very  long,  as  long  in  fact  as  the  head  and  thorax  together, 
and  project  from  the  head  like  a  beak.  This  great  development 
of  the  palpi  is  well  shown  in  the  illustration,  those  organs 
being  so  long  as  almost  to  look  like  a  second  pair  of  antennse. 
The  upper  wings  of  these  Moths  are  lancet-shaped,  long,  and 
comparatively  narrow. 

The  present  species  is  called  the  Wainscot  Veneer  {Chilo 
phragmitellus),  and  is  one  of  the  largest,  if  not  the  very 
largest  of  the  family.  Its  colour  is  nearly  uniform  pale  yellow 
dun,  with  a  slight  streak  or  dash  of  a  darker  hue  just  below 
the  costal  margin  of  the  upper  wings.  Both  pairs  of  wings  are 
nearly  of  the  same  colour.  The  male  may  be  known  from  the 
female  by  having  the  antennse  slightly  feathered  and  the  wings 
longer,  narrower,  and  more  sharply  pointed. 

The  caterpillar  is  coloured  much  like  the  perfect  insect,  but 
has  not  so  much  of  the  yellow  about  it,  except  on  the  head 
and  following  segment,  which  are  orange  brown.  It  feeds  on  the 
common  reed  (^Arundo  phragmites) — whence  its  specific  name 
of  phragmitellus — and  only  in  places  where  that  plant  grows, 
and  where  in  consequence  the  coot  and  the  reed-bunting 
abound,  can  either  the  caterpillar  or  the  perfect  insect  be 
taken.  Although  the  reed  is  plentiful  in  its  own  chosen 
localities,  it  is  very  particular  as  to  the  place  of  its  growth. 
Mostly  it  grows  on  marshy  lands,  or  in  waters  which  are  very 
shallow  and  occasionally  exposed  to  the  air  in  hot  and  dry 
summers.  Whittlesea  Mere  is  one  of  the  places  where  the 
Wainscot  Veneer  can  be  taken ;  and  I  should  fancy  that  the 
great  reservoir  at  Swindon  would  be  a  likely  place  for  it,  as 
the  reed  grows  there  in  large  patches,  forming  semi-islands  in 
the  water. 

At  a  little  distance  these  islands  look  very  easy  of  approach, 
and  the  coots'  nests  in  them  appear  as  if  anyone  could  just 
step  in  and  take  them  ;  but  to  penetrate  the  stronghold  of 
the  coot  is  not  always  so  easy  as  it  looks,  for  the  tall,  sturdy 
reed-stems  form  a  natural  stockade,  strong  enough  to  prevent  a 
human  being  from  forcing  his  way  through  them,  but  not  strong 


THE  GIGANTIC  VENEER. 


499 


enoiigli  to  bear  his  weight.  Even  if  a  boat  be  rowed  hard  at 
one  of  these  semi-islands,  it  often  fails  to  penetrate  it,  the 
reeds  partly  yielding  to  the  impetus,  and  then  recoiling  and 
driving  the  boat  back  with  no  small  violence.  Such  places  as 
this  are  the  localities  loved  by  the  Wainscot  Veneer,  and  any 
one  who  washes  to  obtain  it  should  visit  them  in  June  and 
July  for  the  perfect  insect,  and  in  May  for  the  full-fed  cater- 
pillar. 

LVIII 


*• 


1.  Galleria  cerella.  2.  Crambns  hamellns.  3.    Chilo  phragmitellus.  4.  Tortrlx 

costana.  5.  Tortrix  sorbiana.  a.  Galleria,  larva.  b.  Do.,  palpus  of  female, 

c  Do.,  palpns  of  male. 

There  are  a  tolerable  number  of  Moths  called  by  the  popular 
name  of  Veneers,  the  largest  of  which  is  the  Gigantic  Veneer 
(^Schoenobius  gigantellus).  An  exceptionally  fine  specimen  of 
this  insect  will  measure  almost  two  inches  across  the  spread 
wings.  In  colour  this  insect  very  much  resembles  the  Wainscot 
Veneer,  but  there  is  a  decided  difference  in  the  colour  of  the 
sexes.  The  male  has  both  pairs  of  wings  bright  yellow-brown, 
and  the   upper  pair  slightly   spotted ;   whereas  those  of  the 

K  K   2 


500  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

female  are  pale  brown  without  the  spots,  and  the  under  wings 
are  nearly  white. 

Like  the  preceding  insect,  this  Moth  is  rare  except  in  places 
where  the  reed  abounds.  The  somewhat  odd-looking  name 
Schoenobius  alludes  to  this  fact,  and  is  derived  from  two  Grreek 
words  signifying  something  that  lives  among  reeds.  Several 
other  of  the  Veneers  belong  to  the  genus  Crambus,  which  has 
already  been  mentioned. 

The  last  of  the  Crambites  which  we  can  examine  is  an 
insect  with  which  all  bee-keepers  would  very  gladly  dispense, 
as  it  plays  much  the  same  part  with  the  bee-comb  that  the 
Clothes  Moth  does  with  wool,  fur,  or  feathers.  This  is  the  little 
insignificant-looking  Honey-comb  Moth  {Galleria  cerella),  a 
figure  of  which  is  given  on  "Woodcut  LVIII.  Fig.  1.  The 
specific  name  of  cerella  (from  the  Latin  word  cera,  wax)  has 
been  given  to  this  insect  in  consequence  of  the  wax-eating 
propensities  of  the  larva.  Linngeus,  being  deceived  by  the 
structure  of  the  palpi,  gave  to  the  male  the  specific  name  of 
cereana,  and  to  the  female  that  of  melonella  (from  the  Latin, 
7)iel,  honey).  So,  in  order  to  avoid  confusion,  both  these 
names  have  been  rejected,  and  the  present  specific  name 
accepted  in  their  stead. 

The  colour  of  this  Moth  is  simply  brown,  thie  lower  wings 
grey-brown,  the  upper  pair  having  a  tinge  of  chestnut. 
They  are  rather  boldly  scooped  at  the  tips,  in  which  respect 
they  differ  from  those  of  one  or  two  other  Moths,  which  will 
presently  be  mentioned. 

Personally,  I  have  a  very  strong  objection  to  this  Moth,  and 
cannot  easily  forgive  it  for  the  destruction  of  a  valuable  collec- 
tion of  bee-combs.  I  well  remember  my  dismay  at  discovering 
the  havoc  which  this  insect  had  made  in  a  very  short  time.  The 
cases  containing  the  combs  had  been  put  away  for  some  months, 
until  I  had  to  refer  to  them.  On  opening  the  cases,  I  was 
dismayed  to  find  that  the  combs  had  almost  entirely  disap- 
peared, and  in  their  place  was  a  complicated  mass  of  long 
silken  tubes,  running  in  all  directions,  and  swarming  both  with 
the  caterpillar  and  perfect  insect  of  the  Honey-comb  Moth. 
The  rapidity  with  which  they  form  their  galleries  is  really 
wonderful,  and  the  caterpillars  appear  even  to  extend  them 


THE  HONEY  MOTH.  501 

where  they  are  not  required.  I  could  very  easily  understand 
why  they  should  drive  their  silken  tunnels  through  the  combs, 
or  even  on  their  surface,  but  I  never  could  see  any  object  in 
the  extraordinary  excursions  in  which  they  continually  indulged. 
The  silken  tubes  ran  all  over  the  box,  extending  to  spots  far 
distant  from  the  comb.  One  of  these  tubes  had  actually  been 
made  between  the  lid  and  the  edge  of  the  box,  and  ran  for 
nearly  the  whole  distance,  so  that  when  the  box  was  opened, 
the  tube  was  torn  asunder  for  nearly  the  whole  of  its  length, 
and  its  inmate  was  discovered,  much  to  its  discomfiture. 

The  object  of  the  tubes  is  evident.  The  body  of  the  cater- 
pillar is  quite  soft,  and  the  only  parts  that  are  at  all  hard  are 
the  head  and  thorax.  The  aggrieved  bees  would  be  sure  to 
destroy  the  invader  of  their  hives  if  they  could  only  get  at  it, 
but  the  horny  skin  defends  the  one  end  oi'  the  caterpillar, 
while  the  other  is  sheltered  in  the  tube,  and  the  consequence  is, 
that  the  bees  are  powerless  and  often  are  driven  out  of  their 
hives  by  this  little  Moth.  I  have  often  wondered  that  the 
bees  never  seem  to  think  of  tearing  up  the  silken  tubes  and 
turning  the  caterpillars  out  of  them.  The  tubes  may  resist 
the  sting  of  the  bee,  but,  although  they  are  tough,  they  are  not 
so  strong  that  the  strong  jaws  of  the  bee  could  not  pull  them 
to  pieces. 

The  caterpillar  proceeds  in  its  tube-making  in  a  very  sys- 
tematic way.  It  thrusts  its  head  out  of  the  end  of  the  tube, 
and  eats  the  cells  and  their  contents  until  it  cannot  protrude 
itself  further  without  exposing  the  soft  part  of  its  frame.  So 
it  sets  to  work  and  adds  to  the  tube  until  it  has  brought  it 
close  to  its  food,  and  thus  proceeds  until  it  is  full-fed,  and  the 
tinae  arrives  for  it  to  undergo  its  transformation.  The  cater- 
pillar is  marvellously  active  when  within  its  tube,  and  can 
run  backwards  as  fast  as  it  can  forwards.  On  the  least  move- 
ment near  it,  the  caterpillar  takes  alarm,  and  jerks  itself 
backwards  into  the  protecting  tube  with  a  movement  exactly 
resembling  that  of  a  frightened  tortoise  drawing  its  head  into 
its  shell. 

A  figure  of  the  caterpillar  is  shown  at  Fig.  a  of  the  Wood- 
cut LVIII.  in  the  act  of  forcing  its  way  through  the  honey- 
comb. The  reader  must  remember  that  the  silken  gallery  is 
of  necessity  omitted,  as  otherwise  the  caterpillar  could  not  be 


502  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

shown.  I  have  watched  these  larvae  carefully,  and  never  yet 
saw  one  of  them  protrude  itself  further  from  the  mouth  of  the 
tunnel  than  it  could  be  protected  by  the  hard  covering  of  the 
head  and  the  next  three  segments. 

With  regard  to  my  own  specimens  of  devoured  combs,  there 
was  good  reason  for  the  vast  number  of  caterpillars.  They 
came  from  a  hive  nearly  all  the  inhabitants  of  which  had  died 
in  the  winter,  so  that  the  Honey-comb  Moths  found  no  difl&culty 
in  getting  among  the  combs,  and  depositing  their  eggs  when 
and  where  they  liked. 

In  this  insect  the  sexes  may  be  at  once  distinguished  by  the 
very  different  structure  of  the  palpi.  Fig.  c  shows  the  palpus 
of  the  male,  and  Fig.  b  that  of  the  female. 

This  is  not  the  only  species  of  Moth  that  feeds  on  the  honey- 
comb. There  is,  for  example,  the  Gtkeen-Shaded  Honet- 
CoMB  Moth  (^Melia  sociella),  which  is  rather  more  gaily 
coloured  than  the  preceding  insect,  and  has  on  the  disc  of  its 
upper  wings  a  yellowish  streak  spotted  with  black  dots ;  and 
the  Honey  Moth  (Achroia  grisella),  a  much  smaller  species, 
having  brown  wings  covered  with  tiny  black  dots.  All  the 
caterpillars  of  the  comb-eating  Moths  possess  similar  habits. 


CHAPTEE   VI. 
TOBTBICES,  TINE^,   AND  PTEROFHORL 

The  Tortrices  or  Twisters  are  so  called  because  many,  though 
not  all  of  them,  are  in  the  habit  of  twisting  or  rolling  up 
leaves  while  in  the  larval  state.  Of  these  insects,  a  vast  number 
of  species  are  already  known,  and  new  species  are  continually 
being  brought  forward  for  investigation.  There  is,  however, 
so  great  a  resemblance  between  the  different  species,  and  each 
species  is  so  apt  to  run  into  varieties,  that  all  systematic  ento- 
mologists look  with  suspicion  on  any  newly  announced  species 
of  this  group,  and  the  discoverer  is  sure  to  be  sharply  chal- 
lenged as  to  his  proofs  of  its  novelty.  So  extremely  variable 
are  some  of  these  Moths,  that  in  one  case  no  less  than  thirty- 
seven  alleged  species  have  been  reduced  to  one,  and  shown  to 
be  merely  varieties ;  while  in  another  species  twenty-three 
varieties  have  been  detected,  and  in  another,  fourteen. 

There  is  little  difficulty  in  knowing  whether  a  Moth  belongs 
to  this  group.  In  these,  the  body  is  comparatively  short  and 
slender,  and  the  wings  have  a  peculiar  wave  on  their  costal 
margin,  so  that  when  the  insect  is  at  rest  with  closed  wings, 
the  outline  is  curiously  like  that  of  a  bell.  We  will  take  a 
few  of  the  most  conspicuous  of  these  Moths. 

At  their  head  come  some  Moths  which  scarcely  seem  to 
belong  to  the  Tortrices.  They  are  popularly  called  by  the  name 
of  Silver  Lines,  because  their  green  wings  are  crossed  with 
some  narrow  lines  of  silvery-whiteness.  As  a  rule,  the  Tor- 
trices are  all  little  Moths,  but  some  of  the  Silver-Lines  are 
exceptions  to  this  rule,  and  are,  indeed,  the  very  giants  of  their 
race. 

There  are  but  three  of  these  insects,  which  form  the  family 
of  the  Cymbidae,  a  name  which  will  be  presently  explained. 


504  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

The  commonest  of  them  is  the  Geeen  Silver  Lines  {Halias 
fraxinand).  The  upper  wings  of  this  Moth  are  beautiful  leaf- 
green,  across  which  are  drawn  three  diagonal  silvery  lines, 
taking  a  pinkish  hue  near  the  inner  margin.  The  head  and 
thorax  are  of  the  same  green  hue  as  the  wings.  The  lower 
wings  and  abdomen  are  pale  yellow.  The  larva  of  this  insect 
feeds  on  the  oak,  the  ash,  and  one  or  two  other  trees,  and  the 
perfect  insect  appears  in  May.  The  middle  of  July  is  a  good 
time  for  taking  the  larva,  as  it  is  then  nearly  full-fed.  The 
colour  of  the  caterpillar  very  much  resembles  that  of  the 
Moth's  wings.  This  Moth  measures  about  an  inch  and  a  half 
in  the  spread  of  its  wings. 

The  largest  of  all  these  Moths  is  the  Scarce  Silviir  Lines 
{Halias  quercana),  which  measures  about  two  inches  in  ex- 
panse of  wing.  The  upper  wings  of  this  species  are  leaf-green, 
and  are  crossed  by  two  diagonal  silvery  lines,  nearly  but  not 
quite  parallel  with  the  hind  margin.  The  caterpillar  of  this 
insect  should  be  sought  for  in  May,  the  perfect  insect  appear- 
ing towards  the  end  of  summer. 

When  the  caterpillar  is  full-fed,  it  changes  into  a  chrysalis, 
which  is  fastened  to  a  leaf.  The  form  of  the  chrysalis  is  most 
peculiar,  and  has  been  compared  to  that  of  a  boat  with  the 
keel  uppermost.  The  name  of  Cymbidse,  which  has  been  given 
to  this  family,  is  taken  from  a  Greek  word  signifying  a  boat, 
and  alludes  to  this  form  of  the  pupa. 

We  now  proceed  to  the  typical  family,  the  Tortricidae.  of 
which  we  shall  take  a  few  examples,  the  first  of  which  is  the 
Hazel  Moth  {Tortrix  sorhiana)^  a  figure  of  which  is  given 
on  Woodcut  LVIII.  Fig.  5. 

This  is  the  largest  of  its  family,  and  is  rather  a  conspicuous 
insect,  its  colours  being  boldly  contrasted.  The  general 
character  of  these  markings  is  shown  in  the  illustration,  but 
they  vary  so  much  in  direction,  shade,  and  dimensions  that 
scarcely  any  two  specimens  are  exactly  alike.  The  colour  of 
.the  upper  wings  is  light  warm  brown,  upon  which  are  some 
bold  marks  of  dark  bro^vn.  These  are  mostly  three  in  number, 
namely,  a  rather  jagged  band  across  the  middle  of  the  wing, 
another  near  the  base,  and  a  triangular  spot  near  the  tip,  the 
base  resting  on  the  costal  margin.     The  male  may  be  known 


PLATE    XVII. 
DELTOIDES,   TORTRICES,  TINE>E,  AND  PTEROPHORI. 


1.  Hypasna  proboscidalis. 

2.  Hypsena  proboscidalis,  larva. 

3.  Tortrix  pomonana. 

4.  Tortrix  pomonana,  larva. 
6.  Pterophorus  pentadactylus 

6.  Pterophorus  pterodactylus. 

7.  Nepticula  aurella. 

8.  Leaves  mined  by  Nepticula. 


Plants  :— 

Apple  and  Bramble. 


THE  PEA-GREEN  MOTH.  505 

by  the  formation  of  his  upper  wings,  which  have  a  narrow  fold 
that  reaches  nearly  ta  the  middle. 

As  its  popular  name  imports,  the  caterpillar  of  this  Moth 
feeds  mostly  on  the  hazel,  though  it  is  found  on  other  trees. 
It  is  not  one  of  the  actual  leaf-rollers,  but  draws  the  leaves 
together  with  silk,  and  feeds  snugly  between  them.  The 
caterpillar  is  full-fed  about  the  end  of  April  or  beginning  of 
May,  according  to  the  weather,  and  the  perfect  insect  appears 
in  June. 

The  very  pretty,  but  very  destructive  Pea-Green  Moth  or 
Oak-Moth,  as  it  is  indifferently  termed,  requires  a  short  notice. 
The  scientific  name  of  this  insect  is  ToHrix  viridana.  The 
appearance  of  this  little  Moth  is  very  prepossessing,  the  upper 
wings  being  leaf-green,  and  the  lower  pair  greyish-brown. 
"When  the  wings  are  closed,  the  green  is  the  only  portion  of 
the  insect  that  is  visible,  so  that  the  Moths  may  be  thickly 
spread  over  a  branch,  and  yet  not  one  be  distinguishable  from 
the  leaves.  This  insect  is  in  some  years  very  destructive  among 
the  oak  trees.  It  may  be  found  in  abundance  at  the  beginning 
of  summer,  in  any  place  where  oaks  are  numerous. 

Next  comes  the  Straw  Oblique  Bar  {Tortrix  costana), 
which  is  seen  on  Woodcut  LVIII.  Fig.  4. 

This  pretty  Moth  derives  its  popular  name  from  the  colour- 
ing of  the  wings.  The  upper  pair  are  a  very  glossy  straw- 
colour,  sometimes  taking  rather  a  pale  tint.  Upon  them  are 
some  markings  of  rather  dark  warm  brown,  arranged  as  shown 
in  the  illustration.  There  is  some  variation  in  different  in- 
dividuals, but  the  central  bar,  which  runs  obliquely,  is  most 
distinct  at  the  costa.  The  other  markings  are  not  so  distinct. 
This  is  a  common  insect  in  nearly  all  marshy  places,  as  the 
larva  feeds  upon  almost  any  plants  that  grow  in  such  situa- 
tions. The  colour  of  the  caterpillar  is  dull  brown,  and  its 
head  is  black. 

Passing  by  a  number  of  species,  we  come  to  the  Button 
Tortrix  {Peronea  cristana),  which  is  shown  on  Woodcut  LIX. 
Fig.  3. 

This  is  the  insect  of  which  so  many  varieties  have  been 
recorded.     So  variable  an  insect  cannot  be  described  in  detail, 


506 


INSECTS  AT  HOME. 


but  there  are  one  or  two  points  about  it  whicli  are  the  same  in 
all  the  varieties.  The  upper  wings  are  always  brown  of  some 
shade,  and  much  darker  than  the  lower  pair.  Each  of  the 
upper  wings  has  in  the  middle  a  little  button-like  tuft  of 
greyish-white  scales,  from  which  the  popular  name  of  Button 
Moth  is  derived  ;  and  along  the  lower  edge  of  the  wings  there 
is  a  streak  or  dash  of  the  same  hue. 


LIX 


.\ 


S  4 

1.  Ephippiptiora  fenella.  2.  Ephippiphora  scutulana.  3.  Peronea  cristana. 

4.  Cnephasia  octotnacnlana.  5.  Xanthosetia  zoegana. 

This  Moth  is  not  rare,  though  it  is  rather  local,  occurring  in 
some  profusion  in  those  spots  wherein  it  takes  up  its  residence. 
Woods  and  forests  are  the  localities  which  it  generally  pre- 
fers, and  it  appears  from  the  end  of  summer  throughout  the 
autumn. 


The  very  conspi'^uous  Notchwing  (Teras  caudana)  deserves 
a  short  description,  on  account  of  the  peculiarity  of  the  upper 


THE  BERGMANNIAN  TORTRIX.  o07 

wings.  If  one  of  these  wings  be  taken  by  itself,  it  looks  exactly 
as  if  the  insect  had  met  with  an  accident,  and  had  a  large 
piece  torn  out  of  the  upper  edge.  This  notch,  from  which  the 
insect  takes  its  name,  occupies  fully  one-third  of  the  length  of 
the  wing,  and  is  rather  deeper  towards  the  base  than  the  tip. 
It  is  rather  a  variable  insect,  but  the  deep  and  long  notch  is 
sufficient  for  identification.  Generally,  the  ground  colour  of 
the  upper  wings  is  soft  grey-brown  with  a  satiny  gloss.  About 
the  centre  of  the  wing  the  colour  warms  into  chestnut,  and 
a  narrow  edging  of  the  same  colour  surrounds  the  wing.  The 
edge  of  the  scallops  is  white,  and  a  dark  grey  band  is  drawn 
beneath  them,  and  taking  the  same  outline. 

The  caterpillar  of  this  little  Moth  feeds  on  the  sallow,  and 
is  green,  with  a  yellow  head.  The  Notchwing  prefers  the 
north  of  England  to  the  south. 

On  the  rose-tree  is  often  seen  a  little  white  caterpillar  with 
a  black  head.  If  approached  quietly,  it  can  be  detected  while 
feeding  on  the  leaves,  but  if  the  branch  be  jarred,  the  cater- 
pillar drops  for  some  distance,  letting  itself  down  by  a  silken 
line.  This  is  the  larva  of  a  very  destructive  little  Moth,  called 
the  Bergmannian  Tortrix  {Dictyojpteryx  Bergmanniana). 

The  upper  wings  of  this  insect  are  rather  long,  and  their 
upper  edge  is  decidedly  arched  in  front.  The  colour  of  these 
wings  is  grey  with  a  dash  of  ochreous  yellow,  pencilled  indis- 
tinctly with  brown,  and  across  them  are  drawn  two  diagonal 
whitish  marks  having  a  silvery  lustre.  On  the  hind  margin 
there  is  a  brown  band,  variegated  with  minute  white  spots.  The 
best  way  of  getting  rid  of  the  insect  is  to  tap  the  stem  of  the 
rose  gently,  when  the  larvae  will  let  themselves  drop,  and  can 
easily  be  taken  as  they  hang  suspended  by  their  silken  life- 
lines. 

About  the  exact  position  of  the  little  Moth  which  comes  next 
on  our  list  there  has  been  considerable  uncertainty,  some  ento- 
mologists placing  it  in  the  genus  Lozotsenia.  As,  however,  we 
accept  in  this  work  Mr.  Doubleday's  well-known  catalogue,  we 
place  it  in  the  position  which  he  gives  it.  The  popular  name  of 
this  Moth  is  the  Afternoon  Tortrix,  and  its  scientific  title 
Cnephasia  Tnusculana.  Both  these  names  refer  to  its  colour, 
the  former  word  being  taken  from  the  Greek,  and  signifies 


508  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

dusky,  or  anything  which  comes  out  in  the  dusk  ;  while  the 
latter  name  is  Latin,  and  signifies  a  little  mouse,  in  allusion  to 
the  nocturnal  habits  of  the  mouse. 

The  upper  wings  of  this  insect  are  dull  grey.  At  the  base  is 
a  patch  rather  darker  than  the  ground  colom*  of  the  wing,  and 
very  indistinct.  The  central  band  is  dark-brown  with  a  greyish 
tint,  the  other  marks  are  light-grey  brown.  The  larva  of  this 
Moth  feeds  on  the  common  bramble,  drawing  two  leaves  together 
with  silk,  and  remaining  hidden  between  them.  The  Moth  is 
tolerably  plentiful. 

Another  species  of  this  genus  is  the  Eight-Spot  Moth  {Gne- 
phasia  octomacudana),  a  figure  of  which  is  given  on  Woodcut 
LIX.  Fig.  4. 

Although  its  colours  are  simple,  they  are  very  pleasing  and 
prettily  arranged.  The  ground  colour  of  the  upper  wings  is 
white,  minutely  speckled  with  grey,  and  each  wing  has  four 
dark  greyish-black  marks,  from  which  the  insect  derives  its 
name  of  octomaculana,  or  eight-blotched.  There  is  some 
variation  in  the  size  and  form  of  the  marks,  but  as  a  rule  they 
are  found  as  they  appear  in  the  illustration.  The  under  wings 
are  simply  grey. 

The  larva  of  this  insect  feeds  on  the  thistle,  and  is  more 
common  in  Scotland  and  the  northern  parts  of  England  than 
in  the  southern  counties. 

It  is  with  much  regret  that  I  find  myself  obliged  to  omit 
many  insects  which  are  well  deserving  of  notice.  Our  space, 
however,  is  so  rapidly  diminishing  that  we  must  content  our- 
selves with  only  a  very  few  out  of  the  many  pretty  little  Moths 
which  form  this  large  group. 

Another  of  the  rose-feeding  pests  is  the  caterpillar  of  the 
Moth  which  goes  by  the  popular  name  of  the  Beown  Cloak 
{Spilonota  rohorana). 

In  the  insects  belonging  to  this  genus  the  upper  wings  are 
very  narrow,  being  twice  as  long  as  they  are  broad.  The  hind 
wings,  however,  are  so  wide  that  they  carry  off  the  narrowness 
of  the  upper  wings,  which  none  but  a  practised  eye  would 
notice.  The  palpi  are  broad  and  flattened,  and  the  male  is 
known  from  the  female  by  his  tufted  abdomen. 

This  is  a  pretty  Moth,  though  the  colours  are  very  simple 


THE  CODLIN  MOTH.  509 

The  upper  wings  are  creamy  white,  with  a  large  triangular 
patch  of  dark-brown  at  the  base,  and  a  blotch  of  lighter  brown 
at  the  tip.  The  space  between  these  dark  patches  is  mottled 
with  blackish-grey,  and  there  are  one  or  two  black  spots  scat- 
tered about  it.  The  imder  wings  are  pale  greyisli-brown.  The 
larva  of  this  Moth  can  be  found  about  the  end  of  April  or  May, 
and  the  perfect  insect  appears  in  June. 

Closely  allied  to  this  is  another  rose-eater,  the  Cream  Shokt- 
CLOAK  (Spilonota  ocellana)  which  derives  its  popular  name 
from  the  creamy  white  of  the  upper  wings,  and  the  bold  brown 
spots  upon  them.  It  is  a  very  pretty  little  insect.  The  upper 
wings  are,  as  above-mentioned,  of  a  creamy-white,  and  upon 
them  is  a  large,  dark-brown  patch  at  the  base,  occupying  more 
than  a  quarter  of  the  wing.  A  bold  spot  of  the  same  colour  is 
placed  at  the  tip  of  the  wing,  and  another  at  the  middle  of  the 
inner  margin,  a  similarly  shaped  spot,  but  of  dark-grey,  occu- 
pying the  middle  of  the  costal  margin.  The  spots  are,  how- 
ever, exceedingly  variable,  both  in  number,  form,  and  position. 
The  lower  wings  are  plain  dark-brown. 

Next  on  our  list  comes  the  lovely,  but  destructive  Codlin 
Moth  {TortHx  or  Caiyocapsa  pomonaiia),  which  is  drawn  on 
Plate  XVII.  Fig.  3. 

This  is  a  most  exquisitely  colom-ed  insect,  but  a  magnifying 
glass  and  a  good  light  are  required  in  order  to  bring  out  all 
its  beauties.  The  upper  wings  are  rich  brown,  banded  at  the 
base  and  tip  with  a  darker  and  warmer  biown.  In  the  dark 
band  at  the  tip  of  the  wing  is  an  oval  mark  of  brilliant  gold- 
coloured  scales,  having  a  very  dark  centre.  In  certain  lights 
this  dark  centre  takes  a  reddish  hue,  while  a  golden  gloss  per- 
vades the  whole  of  the  wing.  Even  the  outer  wings,  when 
viewed  in  a  side  light,  shine  as  if  made  of  the  richest  satin. 
By  a  proper  adjustment  of  the  light,  a  rather  curious  effect  can 
be  produced,  the  wings  of  one  side  glittering  and  shining  in 
full  splendour,  while  the  corresponding  wings  of  the  other  side 
are  nothing  but  dull  grey,  brown,  and  black. 

So  excellent  a  description  of  the  ravages  of  this  little  Moth 
is  given  by  Mr.  E.  Newman  in  his  '  Letters  of  Eusticus '  that 
I  cannot  do  better  than  allow  so  excellent  an  observer  and  so 
amusing  a  writer  to  speak  for  himself: — 


510  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

'  It  is  the  most  beautiful  of  the  beautiful  tribe  to  whicli 
it  belongs ;  yet  from  its  habits  not  being-  known,  it  is  sel- 
dom seen  in  the  Moth  state,  and  the  apple-grower  knows 
no  more  than  the  man  in  the  moon  to  what  cause  he  is  in- 
debted for  his  basketfuls  of  worna-eaten  windfalls  in  the  stillest 
weather. 

'  To  find  the  Moth  in  the  daytime,  the  trunks  of  the  apple- 
trees  should  be  carefully  looked  over  ;  or  if  your  orchard  be 
surrounded  by  a  wooden  fence,  the  Moth  may  often  be  found 
sitting  against  it,  with  its  pretty  wings 'neatly  folded  round  its 
body.  Towards  evening — in  fact,  at  sunset — it  begins  to  move, 
and  may  then  be  seen  hovering  about  the  little  apples,  which  by 
the  time  the  Moth  leaves  the  chrysalis — the  middle  of  June — 
are  well  knit,  and  consequently  fit  for  the  reception  of  the  eggs, 
whichi  it  lays  in  the  eyes,  one  only  in  each,  by  introducing  its 
long  ovipositor  between  the  leaves  of  the  calyx,  which  form  a 
tent  above  it,  that  effectually  shields  it  from  the  inclemency  of 
the  weather,  or  any  other  casualty. 

'  As  soon  as  the  egg  hatches,  the  little  grub  gnaws  a  hole  in 
the  crown  of  the  apple,  and  soon  buries  itself  in  its  substance ; 
and  it  is  worthy  of  remark  that  the  rind  of  the  apple,  as  if  to 
afford  every  facility  to  the  destroyer,  is  thinner  here  than  in 
any  other  part,  and  consequently  more  easily  pierced.  The 
apple  most  commonly  attacked  is  the  cod!  in,  a  large,  early  sort, 
which  ripens  in  July  and  August. 

'  The  grub,  controlled  by  an  unvarying  instinct,  eats  into  the 
apple  obliquely  downwards,  and,  by  thus  avoiding  the  cove  and 
pips,  in  no  way  hinders  its  growth.  At  first  it  makes  but  slow 
progress,  being  little  bigger  than  a  thread,  but  after  a  fortnight 
its  size  and  ojDerations  have  much  increased ;  it  has  now  eaten 
half  way  down  the  apple,  and  the  position  of  the  hole  at  the 
top,  if  the  apple  continue  upright,  or  nearly  so,  is  inconvenient 
for  a  purpose  it  has  up  to  this  time  been  used  for,  that  is,  as  a 
pass  to  get  rid  of  its  little  pellets  of  excrement,  which  are 
something  like  fine  sawdust  or  coarse  sand.  Another  communi- 
cation with  the  outer  air  is  therefore  required,  and  it  must  be 
so  constructed  as  to  allow  the  power  of  gravity  to  assist  in 
keeping  it  clear ;  it  is  accordingly  made  directly  downwards 
towards  that  part  of  the  apple  which  is  lowest,  and  thus  the 
trouble  of  thrusting  the  pellets  upwards  through  the  eye  of  the 


THE  CODLIN  MOTH.  511 

apple  is  saved,  and  a  constant  admission  given  to  a  supply  of 
air  without  any  labour. 

'  The  hole  now  made  is  not,  however,  sufficiently  open  for 
an  observer  to  gain  by  its  means  any  knowledge  of  what  is 
going  on  within  ;  this  is  only  to  be  obtained  by  cutting  open  a 
number  of  the  apples  as  they  gradually  advance  towards  ripe- 
ness ;  the  hole  is,  however,  very  easily  seen,  from  its  always 
havmg  adhering  to  it  on  the  outside  an  accumulation  of  little 
grains  which  have  been  thi-ust  through. 

'Having  completed  this  work  the  grub  returns  towards  the 
centre  of  the  apple,  where  he  feeds  at  his  ease.  When  within  a 
few  days  of  being  full-fed,  he,  for  the  first  time,  enters  the 
core  through  a  round  hole  gnawed  in  the  hard,  horny  substance 
which  always  separates  the  pips  from  the  pulp  of  the  fruit,  and 
the  destroyer  now  finds  himself  in  that  spacious  chamber  which 
codlins  in  particular  always  have  in  their  centre.  From  this 
time  he  eats  only  the  pips,  never  again  tasting  the  more  com- 
mon pulp  which  hitherto  had  satisfied  his  unsophisticated 
palate;  now  nothing  less  than  the  highly-flavoured,  aromatic 
kernels  will  suit  his  tooth,  and  on  these  for  a  few  days  he  feasts 
in  luxury. 

'  Somehow  or  other,  the  pips  of  an  apple  are  connected  with 
Its  growth,  as  the  heart  of  an  animal  with  its  life  :  injure  the 
heart,  an  animal  dies ;  injure  the  pips,  an  apple  falls.  Whether 
the  fall  of  his  house  gives  the  tenant  warning  to  quit,  I  cannot 
say,  but  quit  he  does,  and  that  almost  immediately;  he  leaves 
the  core,  crawls  along  his  breathing  and  clearing-out  gallery 
the  mouth  of  which,  before  nearly  closed,  he  now  g-naws  into  a 
smooth,  round  hole,  which  will  permit  him  free  passage  with- 
out hurting  his  fat,  soft,  round  body ;  then  out  he  comes,  and 
for  the  first  time  in  his  life  finds  himself  in  the  open  air  He 
now  wanders  about  on  the  ground  till  he  finds  the  stem  of  a 
tree;  up  this  he  climbs,  and  hides  himself  in  some  nice  little 
crack  in  the  bark. 

'  I  should  remark,  that  the  fall  of  the  apple,  the  exit  of  the 
grub,  and  his  wandering  to  this  place  of  security,  usually  take 
place  m  the  night-time.  In  this  situation  he  remains  without 
stirring  for  a  day  or  two,  as  if  to  rest  himself  after  the  uncom- 
mon fatigue  of  a  two  yards'  march;  he  then  gnaws  away  the 
bark  a  little,  in  order  to    get  further  in  out  of  the  way   of 


512  INSECTS  AT   HOME. 

observation  ;  and  having  made  a  smooth  chamber  big  enough  for 
his  wants,  he  spins  a  beautiful  little  milk-white  silken  case,  in 
which,  after  a  few  weeks,  he  becomes  a  chrysalis,  and  in  this 
state  remains  throughout  the  winter  and  until  the  following  Jime, 
unless  some  unlucky,  black-headed  tit,  running  up  the  trunk, 
peeping  into  every  cranny,  and  whistling  out  his  merry  see-saw, 
happen  to  spy  him,  in  which  case  he  is  plucked  without  cere- 
mony from  his  retreat,  and  his  last  moments  are  spent  in  the 
bird's  crop ;  but,  supposing  no  such  ill-fortune  betide  him,  by 
the  middle  of  June  he  is  again  on  the  wing,  and  hovering  round 
the  young  apples  on  a  midsummer  evening  as  before. 

'  By  burning  weeds  in  your  garden  at  this  time  of  year,  you 
will  effectually  drive  away  this  little  Moth.  If  you  have  trees 
the  crops  of  which  you  value,  make  a  smoking  (mind !  not  a 
blazing)  fire  under  each  ;  it  will  put  you  to  some  inconvenience 
if  your  garden  be  near  your  house,  but  the  apples  will  repay 
you  for  that.' 

Despite  these  destructive  habits  of  this  insect — perhaps  in 
consequence  of  them — I  have  always  cherished  a  kindly  remini- 
scence of  this  Moth.  When  I  was  a  child  there  was  a  re- 
markably fine  codlin  apple-tree  in  the  garden,  the  fruit  of 
which  ripened  early  and  was  particularly  juicy.  As  children, 
we  were  not  allowed  to  gatlier  the  fruit  at  our  discretion,  but 
were  permitted  to  take  that  which  fell  without  any  unfair 
means  being  used,  such  as  beating  or  shaking  the  branches. 
Thanks  to  the  Codlin  Moth,  a  considerable  number  of  apples 
always  did  fall  annually,  having  ripened  much  before  their  time, 
as  is  the  manner  of  fruit  which  will  never  come  to  perfection. 
Like  most  larvse  which  never  see  the  light  until  they  are  full- 
fed,  the  caterpillar  of  this  insect  is  nearly  colourless,  with  the 
exception  of  the  head,  which  is  brown-black,  hard,  and  shining. 

On  Woodcut  LIX.  Fig.  2,  is  seen  a  magnified  representation 
of  a  Moth  known  by  tlie  popular  name  of  the  Single  Blotch 
(Ephippiphora  scutuland). 

It  derives  its  name  from  the  rather  peculiar  colouiing  of 
the  wings,  the  upper  pair  of  which  are  brown,  variously 
mottled,  and  each  having  on  the  inner  margin  a  single  square 
blotch  of  white.  It  is  a  plentiful  insect  in  all  parts  of  Eng- 
land. 


THE  ZOEGIAN   TORTEIX.  513 

An  allied  species,  Ephippiphora  famella,  is  shown  at  Fig.  1. 
It  is  a  very  pretty  little  creature,  the  upper  wings  being  dark 
brown,  each  having  a  pretty  white  spot,  as  seen  in  the  illustra- 
tion.    The  under  wings  are  nearly  as  dark  as  the  upper  pair. 

While  we  are  engaged  on  this  subject  of  Tortrices  tliat  are 
destructive  to  fruit,  we  must  mention  the  W.eberian  Tortrix 
{Semasia  TrtK6e?'anrt),  which  affects  the  various  stone-frua  just 
as  the  Caddis  Moth  attacks  the  apples. 

I  scarcely  know  a  more  lovely  Moth  than  this  little  being,  its 
beauties,  however,  being  so  minute  that  they  can  scarcely  be  even 
suspected  until  the  magnifying  glass  is  brought  to  bear  upon 
them.  When  viewed  with  a  moderately  powerful  lens  and  a 
good  light,  the  upper  wings  start  into  sudden  and  unexpected 
beauty.  Their  rich,  satiny  warm  brown  surface  is  seen  to  be 
covered  with  innumerable  tiny  and  delicate  pencillings,  scarcely 
wider  than  a  hair,  but  ea9h  traced  with  perfect  decision,  and 
glittering  as  if  it  were  formed  of  highly  burnished  gold. 

Although  belonging  to  the  Tortrices,  it  is  not  a  leaf-roller, 
nor  even  a  fruit-eater,  but  restricts  itself  to  the  inner  bark,  on 
which  it  seems  to  feed  exclusively.  Although  thus  hidden 
from  human  sight,  it  can  easily  be  detected,  because,  Kke  the 
Codlin  Moth,  it  ejects  from  the  mouth  of  the  burrow  the 
digested  remains  of  its  food,  which  may  be  seen  in  the  form  of 
fine  yellow  powder.  Brushing  oil  into  the  holes  has  been 
strongly  recommended  as  a  mode  of  killing  these  mischievous 
caterpillars.  I  should  think  that  to  force  a  drop  of  oil  sharply 
into  the  burrow  by  means  of  a  fine  syringe  would  be  much 
more  effectual.  Oil  is  instantaneously  fatal  to  insects,  because 
it  chokes  up  the  spiracles  and  prevents  them  from  breathing. 
But,  it  must  first  reach  the  spiracles,  and  I  rather  doubt 
whether  the  mere  brushing  oil  over  the  mouths  of  the  burrows 
would  have  that  effect,  whereas,  forcing  it  into  the  tunnels 
with  a  smart  push  of  the  syringe-piston  could  scarcely  fail 
of  that  effect. 

The  last  of  the  Tortrices  which  we  can  mention  in  this  work 
is  the  ZoEGiAN  Tortrix  {ToHrix  zoegana). 

The  colouring  of  this  insect  is  very  bold.  The  ground  colour 
of  the  upper  wings  is  yellow,  and    the   upper  part    of  their 

L  L 


514  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

bases  is  tinged  with  rusty  red.  An  irregular  spot  of  the  same 
colour  is  on  the  middle  of  the  wing,  just  below  the  longitudinal 
fold,  and  the  end  of  the  wing  is  rust-red,  with  the  exception  of 
a  rather  large  oval  spot  of  the  same  yellow  as  the  ground  colour 
of  the  wing.  The  caterpillar  of  this  Moth  feeds  on  the  root  of 
the  scabious.  The  perfect  insect,  though  it  seems  to  be  widely 
distributed,  is  not  very  common  anywhere. 


CHAPTER   VII. 

TINE^  AND  PTEROPEORI. 

We  now  come  to  a  vast  group  of  Moths,  some  of  which  are 
moderately  large,  while  some  are  so  very  minute  that  they 
scarcely  seem  to  be  ranked  among  the  Lepidoptera. 

The  name  Tinete  is  taken  from  a  Latin  word  signifying  a 
Clothes  Moth,  and  has  nothing  to  do  with  our  word  '  tiny,' 
however  appropriate  that  may  be  in  many  cases.  The  number 
of  these  Moths  is  really  unknown,  for  there  is  scarcely  a  year 
in  which  some  new  species  of  the  Tinese  is  not  discovered  and 
placed  on  the  list.  Indeed,  so  numerous  are  they  that  they 
have  collectively  been  ranked  under  a  separate  name,  viz. 
Micro-lepidoptera,  and  their  study  has  become  quite  a  distinct 
branch  of  entomology.  Their  average  dimensions  may  be  seen 
by  reference  to  Fig.  7  on  Plate  XVII.,  in  which  the  beautiful 
little  Moth  called  the  Grolden  Pigmy  is  represented  of  its 
natural  size. 

We  will  now  proceed  to  examine  a  few  examples  of  this 
group  of  Moths,  and  begin  with  the  insect  which  is  figured 
on  Woodcut  LX.  Fig.  1.  Its  scientific  title  is  Depressaria 
nervosella.  No  popular  name  has  yet  been  given  to  it,  so,  in 
allusion  to  the  peculiar  colour  of  its  upper  wings,  I  will  call 
it  the  Brown  Plush. 

Without  a  magnifying  glass,  it  is  impossible  to  make  out 
correctly  the  colours  of  this  little  Moth.  The  upper  wings  are 
brown,  with  a  slight  reddish  gloss,  and  on  close  examination  are 
seen  to  be  covered  with  a  great  number  of  tiny  longitudinal 
streaks  of  a  yellowish  dun.  Altogether,  the  general  effect  of  the 
upper  surface  of  the  wing  is  exactly  like  that  of  a  piece  of  brown 
plush.  The  base  of  the  upper  wings  is  dark  brown,  and  so  is  a 
small  spot  near  the  inner  margin,  and  two  dusk-dun  spots  on 
the  disc.     The  fringe  of  tlie  wings  is  greyish-dun.      The  lower 

L  L  2 


516 


INSECTS   AT   HOME. 


wings  and  the  abdomen  are  grey,  as  is  the  under  surface  of  the 
wings. 

The  larva  of  this  insect  is  bluish-black,  with  an  orange  stripe 
on  each  side,  and  is  really  a  handsome  little  creature.  It  feeds 
on  the  Hemlock  Water  Dropwort  {(E nanthe crocata).  A  mag- 
nified figure  of  this  caterpillar  is  given  at  Fig.  a  of  the  same 
Woodcut,  and    Fig.  b  shows    the    caterpillar    of  its    natural 


LX 


1.  Depressarla  riervosella.  2.  Coleophora  ibipennella.  3.  Ti=cbevia  complanella. 

a  and  6.  Depressaria,  larva.  c.  Coleophora,  larva.  d.  Tischeiia,  larva. 


size,  feeding  on  the  flowers  of  the  dropwort  which  it  has  drawn 
too-ether  with  silken  threads. 


I  CANNOT  pass  unnoticed  the  very  beautiful  and  very  mis- 
chievous insect  called  by  the  popular  name  of  the  Little  Ermine 
( Hyponomeuta  padella).  With  respect  to  the  first  of  these 
names,  I  must  mention  that  some  writers  on  entomology  omit 


THE  LITTLE  ERMINE.  517 

the  H  and  spell  the  word  Yponomeuta.  This  practice,  although 
it  is  largely  indulged  in  by  various  writers,  is  utterly  wrong,  as 
it  omits  the  aspirate  in  the  Greek,  the  English  representative 
of  which  is  the  letter  H. 

Following  exactly  the  spelling  as  well  as  the  arrangement  of 
certain  authors,  I  have  more  than  once  accepted  this  omission 
of  the  aspirate,  but  I  can  do  so  no  longer,  and  hereby  offer  my 
protest  against  any  such  barbarism.  The  scientific  names  of 
insects  are  quite  crabbed  enough  as  it  is,  and  there  is  no  need 
to  add  to  the  difficulty  of  remembering  them  by  false  spelling. 

It  would  be  thought  extremely  absurd  to  write  of  burning 
ydrogen  gas,  of  killing  an  yena,  of  using  yperbola,  of  singing 
an  ymn,  of  planting  an  yacinth,  of  inserting  an  yphen  between 
two  words,  of  unmasking  an  ypocrite  or  supporting  an  ypothesis  ; 
and  yet,  such  words  are  not  one  whit  more  ridiculous  than 
Yponomeuta  for  Hyponomeuta.  I  rather  think  they  have  been 
so  spelt  by  persons  more  conversant  with  entomology  than 
philology,  and  who  have  learnt  enough  Greek  to  know  the 
alphabet,  but  not  enough  to  know  the  aspirate. 

In  the  next  place  the  reader  will  remark  that  the  specific 
names  of  the  insects  belonging  to  the  ■  Tinese  are  made  to  end 
in  '  ella.'  The  specific  name  of  the  insect  just  described,  used 
to  be  given  as  nei^osa,  but  has  been  altered  to  nervosella  for 
the  sake  of  uniformity. 

It  is  impossible  to  mistake  the  little  Ermine,  whose  long, 
narrow,  satiny  white  upper  wings,  sprinkled  with  black  dots, 
render  it  exceedingly  conspicuous.  The  destruction  wrought 
by  this  little  insect  is  almost  incredible,  whole  trees  be- 
ing stripped  of  their  foliage,  and,  instead  of  bearing  leaves, 
covered  with  the  white  webs  and  strong  threads  of  the  cater- 
pillars. Even  in  the  midst  of  London,  in  the  densest,  smok- 
iest, dingiest  part  of  Bermondsey,  I  have  seen  this  Moth  in 
full  force.  It  was  simply  master  of  the  situation.  The  little 
square  yard  which  did  duty  for  a  garden  was  overrun  with  the 
caterpillars,  which  stretched  their  tough  silken  cables  across 
the  yard,  across  the  windows,  across  the  doorways,  across  the 
path,  and,  in  fact,  seemed  to  have  calculated  how  they  could 
most  annoy  the  legitimate  proprietors  of  the  place. 

Not  content  with  taking  possession  of  the  tiny  garden,  they 
invaded  the  houses  around,  and  every  window  that  was  opened 


518  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

was  at  once  stormed  by  the  caterpillars,  which  entered  the 
rooms,  crawled  over  the  furniture,  trailed  their  silken  lines 
over  everything  in  the  room,  and  really  made  the  inhabitants 
of  the  houses  quite  afraid  to  admit  the  little  air  that  ever  stirs 
in  such  localities.  Yet,  in  the  midst  of  all  the  smoke,  the 
dust,  the  '  blacks,'  and  the  other  adjuncts  of  the  Neighbourhood, 
the  little  Moths  fluttered  about  with  wings  as  purely  white  as 
if  they  had  never  come  within  twenty  miles  of  a  chimney. 

We  must  not  pass  over  without  notice  the  lovely  Long-horn 
Moths,  of  which  we  have  several  examples  in  England.  These 
Moths  are  remarkable  for  the  extreme  length  and  delicacy  of 
their  antennae,  these  appendages  being  very  much  longer  in  the 
males  than  in  the  females.  The  best  known  of  these  is  the  De 
GrEEREAN  {Adela  de  Geerella).  This  is  a  truly  magnificent 
insect.  Even  to  the  naked  eye  its  upper  wings  are  singularly 
beautiful,  but  when  it  is  examined  by  the  microscope  its 
splendour  absolutely  baffles  description.  Suffice  it  to  say  that 
the  wings  then  appear  to  be  covered  with  scale  armour  of 
burnished  gold,  every  scale  taking  a  rich  purple  hue  in  certain 
lights.  As  the  insect  is  turned  under  the  microscope  the  edges 
are  deeply  purple,  this  hue  being  strongest  and  most  con- 
spicuous towards  the  tips.  The  fringe  of  the  wings  has  also  a 
tendency  to  purple. 

The  antennae  of  this  Moth  are  of  enormous  length.  Just  at 
the  base  they  are  rather  thick,  and  have  a  very  slight  feathering. 
They  then  suddenly  diminish,  and  are  so  long  and  so  delicate 
that  they  almost  look  like  the  threads  of  a  spider's  web  that 
have  been  casually  attached  to  the  creature's  head.  Indeed,  I 
have  often  taken  the  Moth  by  watching  for  the  flash  of  light 
reflected  from  the  antennae  as  they  wave  about  in  the  air  like 
threads  of  gossamer,  while  the  insect  is  sitting  quietly  on  a 
leaf. 

The  caterpillar  of  this  Longhorn  Moth  feeds  on  the  Wood 
Anemone,  and  is  pale  yellow  with  a  black  head.  The  structure 
of  the  chrysalis  is  very  remarkable,  on  account  of  the  manner 
in  which  the  antennae  are  disposed.  In  the  pupa  of  ordinary 
Lepidoptera  the  antennae  lie  straight  down  the  front  of  the 
body,  but  such  a  provision  would  be  quite  insufficient  for  the 
Long-horn,  whose  antennae  are  many  times  as  long  as  the  body. 


THE  CONFLUENT  BARRED  MOTH.  519 

On  examining-  one  of  the  pupae,  it  will  be  found  that  the 
antennae  are  led  down  the  body  as  usual,  but  are  then  rolled 
spirally  round  the  end  of  the  tail,  so  as  to  make  quite  a  bold 
knob,  thus  disposing  of  their  enormous  length  in  a  very  small 
compass. 

There  is  another  common  and  most  beautiful  species,  the 
GrREEN  LoNGHORN,  in  which  the  upper  wings  are  glittering 
golden-green,  instead  of  gold-brown  and  pui-ple.  The  colour  of 
the  wings  much  resembles  that  of  the  young  oak-leaf,  on  which 
the  Moth  loves  to  sit,  and,  were  it  not  for  the  gleam  of  the 
waving  antennae,  it  might  readily  escape  observation.  Both 
these  species  are  common  in  oak  copses,  and  are  often  taken  in 
the  sweep  net  when  the  collector  is  searching  for  beetles.  Six 
species  of  Long-horn  Moths  are  known  to  inhabit  England,  the 
two  which  have  been  mentioned  being  the  most  conspicuous. 

As  an  example  of  the  leaf-rolling  Tineae,  we  will  take  that 
very  well-known  species  which  infests  the  lilac,  and  is  known 
by  the  popular  name  of  the  Confluent  Barred  Moth  {Graeil- 
laria  syringella).  It  is  a  pretty  little  insect,  the  upper  wings 
being  ochreous  and  mottled  profusely  with  dark  brown,  while 
near  the  tip  of  the  wing  there  is  an  eye-like  mark  with  a  black 
centre.  The  lower  wings  are  greyish-brown.  In  consequence 
of  its  food  it  is  sometimes  called  the  Lilac  Moth. 

The  caterpillar  of  this  insect  undergoes  two  distinct  stages  of 
larval  life,  and  is  at  one  time  a  burrower  and  at  another  a 
leaf-roller.  Almost  as  soon  as  the  egg  is  hatched,  the  Little 
caterpillar,  which  is  then  scarcely  recognisable  without  a  mag- 
nifjdng-glass,  eats  its  way  into  the  interior  of  a  leaf,  and  there 
remains  for  some  time,  feeding  on  the  parenchyma,  or  soft 
substance  between  the  upper  and  under  sides  of  the  leaf. 
Before  very  long  it  grows  too  large  for  this  habitation,  and 
then  makes  its  way  into  the  open  air,  where  it  immediately 
sets  about  preparing  a  more  suitable  home.  The  mode  in 
which  it  does  so  is  very  curious. 

Selecting  a  rather  young  and  tender  leaf,  the  tiny  caterpillar 
attaches  a  number  of  silken  threads  to  the  edges  and  tip,  and 
fastens  the  other  ends  of  the  threads  to  the  middle  of  the  leaf, 
fixing  them  in  a  row,  so  that  they  look  something  like  the  warp 
threads  in  a  loom.     These  threads,  slight  as  they  may  be,  are 


520  INSECTS   AT  HOME. 

botth  strong  and  elastic,  and  by  their  elasticity  the  tip  of  the 
leaf  is  partially  curled  over.  The  caterpillar  then  pulls  at  the 
threads,  tightens  those  that  are  in  the  least  loose,  and  so 
proceeds  until  the  leaf  will  bend  no  more.  It  then  goes  back 
to  the  tip,  which  is  now  bent  over,  fastens  another  row  of 
threads  about  the  eighth  of  an  inch  beyond  the  first  set,  and 
fixes  them  in  the  same  manner  as  before.  The  leaf  being  now 
much  more  bent,  the  first  threads  hang  loosely,  and  are  again 
shortened,  tightened,  and  fastened  down.  In  this  way  the 
caterpillar  proceeds  until  it  makes  the  leaf  into  a  hollow  roll, 
in  which  it  may  live.  When  one  of  these  leaf-rolls  is  newly 
finished,  the  extreme  elasticity  of  the  threads  can  easily  be 
tested,  for  the  roll  can  be  partly  opened,  when  the  threads  will 
allow  themselves  to  be  considerably  stretched,  and  as  soon  as 
the  force  is  removed  will  spring  back  again  to  their  foi-mer 
length.  Row  after  row  of  these  threads  may  be  seen,  all  set  in 
regular  order,  and  looking  almost  like  strips  of  the  finest  white 
silk. 

On  Woodcut  LX.  Fig.  2  is  shown  a  magnified  portrait  of 
a  most  beautiful  little  Moth  named  Coleojohora  ibipennella. 
This  insect,  though  apparently  larger  than  those  on  Plate  XVII. 
Fig.  7,  is  really  much  about  the  same  size,  the  long  fringes  of 
the  wings  making  them  look  larger  than  they  really  are.  As 
the  reader  may  see  by  reference  to  the  illustration,  the  actual 
wings  are  very  small,  very  narrow,  and  very  pointed,  their 
apparent  width  being  entirely  due  to  the  fringe.  The  colour 
of  the  upper  wings  is  satiny- white,  the  few  nervui-es  are  slightly 
yellow,  and  there  is  a  tendency  to  brown  towards  the  tips. 
The  under  surface  of  these  wings  is  grey,  with  a  tinge  of 
reddish-brown.  The  under  wings  are  dark  grey.  The  head 
and  thorax  are  white,  and  the  abdomen  is  grey  with  a  white 
tuft  at  the  end  of  the  tail. 

The  scientific  name  of  this  little  Moth  has  already  .been 
given.  Hitherto  it  has  not  been  recognised  by  any  popular 
name,  so  I  will  call  it  the  Flakelet,  in  allusion  to  its  resem- 
blance to  a  little  snow-flake. 

The  caterpillar  is  a  pretty  little  creature.  Its  body  is  a  sort 
of  dull  amber-yellow,  and  its  head  is  black.  The  second 
segment  has  a  large  double  black  mark  on  the  back,  the  third 


THE  COLEOPHOEA   PALLIATELLA.  521 

sef^ent  has  four  black  spots,  and  the  last  segment  has  one 
similar  spot.  A  figure  of  the  caterpillar  is  given  ou  Woodcut 
LX.  Fig.  c.  Like  many  of  the  Tinese  larvae,  it  does  not  live  in 
the  open  air,  but  makes  for  itself  a  kind  of  case,  shaped  very 
much  like  a  pistol.  This  case  is  very  dark  brown,  sometimes 
black,  and  stands  on  its  end,  the  muzzle  on  the  leaf  and  the 
but  in  the  air.  The  caterpillar  only  protrudes  its  head  from  the 
case,  and  when  alarmed  it  shrinks  entirely  within  its  home,  and 
draws  the  opening  closely  against  the  surface  of  the  leaf.  It 
feeds  mostly  on  the  birch,  and  is  quite  common  in  most  parts  of 
England.  The  generic  name  Coleophora  is  formed  from  two 
Greek  words,  signifying  Sheath-bearer,  and  alludes  to  the  habit 
of  living  within  a  portable  case  or  sheath. 

There  is,  for  example,  the  Coleophora  palliateUa,  a  Moth 
much  resembling  the  preceding  species,  but  larger,  its  spread  of 
wings  being  nearly  half  an  inch. 

This  larva  makes  a  case  very  much  resembling  a  paper  bag 
tied  so  as  to  form  a  sort  of  narrow  neck  and  a  large  irresfular 
bulb.  I  have  bred  many  of  these  Moths,  and  have  been 
extremely  interested  in  the  structure  of  their  movable 
dwelling.  To  the  unassisted  eye,  it  looks  merely  like  a  rather 
irregular  piece  of  blackish  membrane,  but  when  the  magnifying 
glass  is  brought  to  bear  ou  it,  a  very  remarkable  structure  is 
disclosed.  If  it  be  examined  by  means  of  an  ordinary  lens, 
it  looks  as  if  made  of  a  vast  number  of  small  black  scallop 
shells  fastened  together  at  their  edges. 

If  a  portion  of  this  case  be  removed,  and  placed  under  a 
tolerably  powerful  microscope,  the  real  formation  of  the  case  is 
revealed.  It  is  made  entirely  of  silk,  each  scallop  being 
formed  separately,  and  joined  to  its  neighbours.  In  some 
cases  the  junctions  have  given  way,  and  the  scallops  have 
become  partially  separated.  I  have  seen  a  knitted  counter- 
pane formed  on  exactly  the  same  principle  technically  called  the 
'  shell-pattern,'  the  scallops  having  been  knitted  separately,  and 
then  sewn  together  at  their  edges.  It  is  quite  easy  to  trace  the 
dates  of  these  little  scallops,  for  those  of  oldest  date  are  dark 
and  discoloured,  while  those  that  are  last  made  are  pure  white. 

On  opening  this  case  with  a  pair  of  very  fine  scissors,  a 
second  case  is  found  within  it,  firmly  attached  to  the  outer 


522  INSECTS  AT  HOJVIE. 

case  by  its  base,  the  mouths  of  the  two  cases  coinciding  with 
each  other,  and  consequently  being  very  thick  and  strong. 
This  inner  case  is  not  the  least  like  the  outer  one,  being  nearly 
cylindrical,  and  hardly  wider  than  the  neck,  except  at  the 
base,  where  it  slightly  widens.  Owing  to  the  residence  of  the 
caterpillar  within  it,  the  colour  of  the  inner  case  is  much 
darker  than  that  of  the  outer.  It  is  formed  in  the  same 
manner,  being  constructed  of  a  great  number  of  silken  scallops. 

When  the  larva  is  full-fed,  it  draws  the  mouth  of  this  double 
case  tightly  against  the  surface  of  the  leaf,  and  fastens  it  down 
with  a  great  number  of  silken  bands,  always  attaching  it 
to  some  nervure,  generally  the  middle  nervure,  of  the  leaf. 
"Within  this  double  fortress  the  larva  changes  to  a  pupa,  and 
not  until  it  assumes  the  jDcrfect  shajae  does  it  leave  the  silken 
case  in  which  it  passed  its  larval  existence. 

Such  is  a  brief  description  of  this  very  remarkable  habita- 
tion. I  have  always  found  them  on  the  oak,  fixed  to  the 
upper  surface  of  the  leaf,  and  have  taken  as  many  as  I  wanted 
in  a  small  path  running  over  Shooter's  Hill,  in  Kent,  where 
the  quantity  of  oak  underwood  brings  all  oak-loving  insects 
easily  to  hand. 

As  to  the  other  members  of  this  genus,  they  all  make  cases 
more  or  less  curious,  but  all  constructed  of  the  same  materials 
and  for  the  same  purpose.  That  of  Goleopliora  therinella  is 
very  long  and  slender,  quite  straight,  and  of  a  pale-brown. 
That  of  Coleophora  cvbrrucipennella  is  shaped  something  like 
a  round-headed  Fiji  club,  the  neck  being  very  narrow,  and  the 
base  very  large  and  covered  with  all  sorts  of  irregular  projec- 
tions. The  popular  name  of  this  Moth  is  the  Little  Waggoner, 
and  its  colouring  is  very  much  like  that  of  the  preceding  species, 
except  that  the  nervures  are  yellow  towards  the  base  and 
become  brown  towards  the  tips  of  the  wings.  The  larva  is 
rather  a  general  feeder,  and  has  been  found  upon  the  leaves  of 
the  oak,  the  sallow,  the  hornbeam,  and  other  trees.  The  larva- 
case  of  Coleophora  conspicuella  well  deserves  the  name,  for  it  is 
extraordinarily  black,  and  looks  very  much  like  a  black  pea- 
pod  in  miniature,  stuck  by  one  end  to  a  leaf. 

On  Woodcut  LX.  Fig.  3  is  shown  the  Red  Feather  (Tische- 
via  complanella),  so  called  from  its  colour  and  the  feathery 


THE  BROWN  DOLLY.  523 

character  of  its  wings,  the  upper  pair  being  warm  orange  with 
a  longitudinal  black  bar,  as  seen  in  the  illustration.  This  is 
another  of  the  oak-feeders,  and  the  perfect  insect  is  common 
everywhere  during  the  earlier  part  of  the  summer.  The 
name  Red  Feather  is  almost  a  literal  translation  of  Stephen's 
name  of  rufipennella,  which  he  gave  to  it,  but  which  could 
not  be  retained  because  the  name  complanella  was  of  earlier 
date.     The  larva  of  this  insect  is  shown  at  Fig.  d. 

The  next  group  of  Tinese  are  all  leaf-miners  in  the  larval 
state.  The  name  of  this  group  is  the  Lithocolletidae.  The 
object  of  this  name  I  really  cannot  determine.  It  is  derived 
from  two  Greek  words,  the  former  signifying  a  stone,  and  the 
latter  to  glue  or  cement.  Taken  collectively,  the  words  may 
either  signify  a  stone-cementer,  or  something  that  is  inlaid  or 
cemented  with  stone.  Perhaps  the  colouring  of  the  wings 
may  have  given  some  notion  of  a  mosaic  wall,  which  is  made  of 
small  cubes  of  stone  cemented  together. 

A  FIGURE  of  one  of  the  prettiest  of  these  very  pretty  insects 
is  given  on  Woodcut  LXI.  Fig.  1,  very  much  magnified.  The 
scientific  name  of  this  insect  is  Lithocolletes  coi-ylella.  No 
popular  name  has  been  given  to  it,  so  I  shall  call  it  the 
Brown  Dolly,  because  the  brown  markings  on  the  white  wings 
bear,  when  viewed  from  base  to  tip,  a  certain  resemblance  to  a 
rude  wooden  doll.  It  is  really  a  very  pretty  insect.  Viewed 
with  the  naked  eye,  it  is  so  small  that  the  shape  of  the 
markings  is  wholly  invisible,  and  all  that  can  be  seen  is  a 
white  surface  profusely  sprinkled  with  brown,  or  a  brown 
surface  spotted  with  white.  But,  when  the  magnifying  glass 
is  brought  to  bear  upon  it,  the  markings  are  seen  to  be  very 
clearly  defined.  I  have  examined  a  considerable  number  of 
these  beautiful  little  Moths,  and  in  none  of  them  was  there 
any  noticeable  variation. 

Although  but  few  colours  are  employed  in  the  decoration  of 
the  little  Moth's  plumage,  it  is  a  most  beautiful  insect,  the 
rich  brown  and  pure  creamy  white  being  contrasted  in  a 
wonderfully  bold  manner.  There  is  a  slight  difference  in  the 
colour  of  the  sexes,  the  upper  wings  of  the  male  being  soft 
creamy-white,  while  those  of  the  female  are  cold  grey-white. 


524 


INSECTS  AT  HOME. 


Upon  their  surface  are  drawn  the  rich  brown  markings  shown  in 
the  illustration.  The  fringe  is  whitish-grey.  The  under  wings 
are  grey,  fringed  with  a  much  lighter  hue,  and  darkening  a,t 
the  base.  The  sides  of  the  head  are  yellow,  and  the  face 
snowy-white ;  the  thorax  is  of  the  same  colour  as  the  upper 
wings,  and  the  abdomen  is  grey,  ended  with  a  tuft  of  very  pale 
yellow. 

LXf. 


1.  Lithocolletes  corylolla. 
a.  Lithocolletes,  larva. 


2.  Nepticiila  aurella. 
d.  Nepticula,  larva. 


The  larva  is  represented  at  Fig.  a,  very  much  magnified. 
When  living  it  is  about  as  long  as  the  capital  letter  I,  and 
indeed,  could  not  be  much  larger  in  consequence  of  the 
character  of  its  home.  Its  colour  is  pale  yellow,  with  a 
blackish-brown  head,  and  a  patch  of  deep  orange  upon  the 
ninth  segment.  It  burrows  into  the  leaves  of  the  hazel 
{Corylus  avellana),  from  which  it  obtains  its  specific  name 
corylella. 


THE  GOLDEN   PIGMY.  525 

This  little  creature  is  common  upon  its  food-plant,  and  can 
easily  be  obtained  by  rearing  it  from  the  larval  state.  I  find 
that  nearly  all  leaf-miners  are  easily  reared.  They  require 
very  little  trouble,  and  the  collector  is  free  from,  the  ever- 
constant  labour  of  procuring  food,  which  is  a  serious  tax  on 
anyone  who  cannot  pay  a  substitute  to  do  it  for  him.  But, 
with  leaf-miners,  there  is  scarcely  any  trouble  at  all,  and  the 
following  directions  will  be  found  amply  sufficient.  Cut  off 
the  twig  on  which  grows  the  mined  leaf,  and  bring  it  home. 
In  order  to  ascertain  whether  the  larva  is  still  inside  the  leaf, 
hold  it  up  to  the  light,  when  a  short,  opaque  line  will  at  once 
detect  its  presence.  Tie  a  piece  of  fine  gauze  loosely  over  the 
leaves,  put  the  stem  in  water  and  all  is  done.  These  little 
creatures  go  through  their  transformations  very  quickly,  and  in 
a  comparatively  short  time  the  beautiful  little  Moths  may  be 
seen  fluttering  within  their  gauzy  prison. 

The  gauze  bag,  with  its  living  burden,  is  then  slipped  into 
the  laurel-bottle,  and  the  Moths  can  then  be  set. 

It  is  very  easy  to  say  that  such  Moths  must  be  set,  but  to 
set  them  is  a  very  different  business.  They  are  so  very  small 
that  to  get  even  the  slenderest  of  pins  through  the  thorax  is 
quite  out  of  the  question,  and  they  must  therefore  be  mounted 
on  card.  It  is  best  done  by  taking  some  very  white  card-board, 
moistening  the  surface  with  transjDarent  cement,  laying  the 
Moths  upon  it,  and  drawing  their  wings  into  position  with  a 
very  fine  needle-point.  .  As  soon  as  the  cement  is  dry,  the 
card-board  can  be  cut  up  into  strips,  so  as  to  have  the  Moth  at 
one  end  of  the  strip  and  the  pin  at  the  other^  just  as  is  done 
with  small  beetles.  I  have  seen  a  number  of  these  Micro- 
lepidoptera  thus  displayed  on  a  piece  no  larger  than  a  lady's 
visiting  card,  the  effect  of  their  glittering  wings  being  abso- 
lutely gorgeous  when  a  bright  light  was  reflected  upon  them. 

The  last  of  the  Tinese  which  we  can  mention  in  this  work  is 
the  Golden  Pigmy  {Nepticula  aurella),  which  is  shown  on 
Woodcut  LXI.  Fig.  2.  T^is  is  a  very  much  magnified  figure,  as 
can  be  seen  by  comparing  it  with  Plate  XVII.  Fig.  7,  where 
it  is  represented  of  its  natural  size. 

This  very  common  insect  affords  an  admirable  example  of 
the  Tinese,  its  small  size  and  glittering  hues  being  two  of  the 


526  INSECTS  AT   HOME. 

leading  characteristics  of  the  group.  The  upper  wings  are 
rich  brown  with  a  golden  gloss  and  a  tendency  to  purple 
beyond  the  middle.  Across  the  middle  runs  a  broad  diagonal 
band  of  shining  gold,  which,  under  the  microscope,  is  abso- 
lutely painful  to  the  eyes  from  its  splendoiir. 

Indeed,  were  this  minute  insect  only  as  large  as  our  common 
peacock  butterfly,  it  would  be  acknowledged  to  be  the  most 
magnificent  insect  in  the  world,  and  even  the  most  gorgeous 
inhabitants  of  the  tropics  would  pale  before  its  splendour. 
Fortunately,  the  entomologist  is  independent  of  such  con- 
siderations as  mere  size,  for  the  microscope  enables  him  to 
enlarge  the  smallest  insect  to  any  dimensions  that  he  wishes, 
so  that  he  can  give  to  the  smallest  of  insects  all  the  pictorial 
effects  which  they  would  have  if  they  were  many  thousand 
times  their  real  size. 

The  larva  of  the  Grolden  Pigmy  is  shown  at  Fig.  b.  This 
caterpillar  burrows  in  the  leaf  of  the  common  bramble,  and  in 
many  cases  is  the  cause  of  the  devious  tracks  which  are  seen 
in  its  leaves.  The  particular  path  taken  by  these  larvce  seems 
to  be  very  much  a  matter  of  choice.  When  very  young,  they 
seem  to  be  deterred  by  the  presence  of  a  nervure,  and  to 
change  the  direction  of  their  track  when  they  come  across  it, 
whereas,  when  they  become  older  and  stronger,  they  mine 
their  way  through  the  nervures  with  perfect  indifference. 
Sometimes  a  Pigmy  caterpillar  happens  to  make  its  way, 
when  very  young,  to  the  extreme  edge  of  the  leaf.  When  it 
does  so,  it  seems  never  to  be  able  to  extricate  itself  from 
the  margin,  but  follows  with  the  utmost  fidelity  the  notched 
edges  of  the  leaf,  sometimes  nearly  travelling  round  the  leaf 
before  it  ceases  to  feed.  When  it  is  full-fed,  it  makes  a  very 
little  cocoon  at  the  end  of  its  devious  tunnel,  and  in  a  short 
time  emerges  in  the  perfect  state. 

There  is  scarcely  a  plant  the  leaf  of  which  is  not  mined  by 
some  species  of  this  lovely  genus,  so  that  to  obtain  a  tolerably 
good  series  of  the  Nepticulae,  or  Pigmies,  as  they  are  popularly 
termed,  is  not  a  difficult  matter.  This,  indeed,  is  almost  the 
only  mode  of  obtaining  these  Lilliputian  Moths — the  humming- 
birds of  the  Lepidoptera — in  any  number,  for,  in  spite  of  their 
extremely  brilliant  colours,  it  is  very  difficult  to  detect  them 
when  at  liberty.     They  have  a  habit  of  settling  on  the  rough 


PLUME  MOTHS.  527 

trunks  of  trees,  old  palings,  and  similar  localities,  and  placing 
themselves  so  that  the  brown  hue  of  their  wings  corresponds 
with  that  of  the  object  on  which  they  have  settled,  while  the 
light  does,  not  reflect  the  glittering  metallic  hues  with  which 
nearly  all  the  species  are  decorated.  Eearing  them,  however, 
is,  as  has  already  been  mentioned,  extremely  easy,  and  the  only 
difficulty  is  to  set  them  neatly  without  damaging  their  gorgeous 
plumage. 

One  of  these  Pigmies,  Nepticula  plagicolella,  is  supposed  to  be 
the  very  smallest  of  British  Lepidoptera.  It  is  a  most  lovely 
little  being,  the  wings  being  deep  brown  with  a  violet  gloss, 
across  which  is  drawn  a  glittering  band  of  burnished  silver. 
Another,  Kepticida  argentipedella,  has  the  upper  wings  of  a 
velvet  black  shot  with  violet,  and  a  central  band  of  pure 
white.  Then,  Nepticula  acetosella,  has  the  upper  wings  dark 
shining  bronze,  crossed  with  a  band  of  rich  violet  edged  with  a 
line  of  pure  white.  Much  has  been  done  with  these  lovely 
little  insects  of  later  years,  but  much  more  remains  to  be  done, 
and  if  any  of  my  readers  will  take  up  this  one  subject  of  the 
leaf-miners,  they  will  find  themselves  amply  rewarded  for  their 
trouble. 


"SVe  are  now  among  some  very  curious  and  withal  beautiful 
insects,  though  none  of  them  possess  the  magnificent  colour- 
ing which  distinguishes  the  lovely  little  Moths  which  have 
just  been  described.  They  are  scientifically  known  by  the 
name  of  Pterophori,  or  Feather-Bearers,  and  bear  the  popular 
name  of  Plume  Moths,  on  account  of  the  structure  of  the 
wdngs.  In  those  Lepidoptera  which  we  have  hitherto  examined, 
the  wings  are  formed  of  a  thin  membrane  stretched  between 
certain  strengthening  nervures,  or  wing-rays,  the  principal  of 
■which  radiate  from  the  base  of  the  wing.  But  in  the  Plume 
ISIoths  there  is  no  membrane,  each  nervure  being  furnished 
with  long,  hair-like  plumes  by  which  the  insect  is  sustained  in 
the  air.  In  the  under  wings,  the  nervures  are  separate  nearly 
from  the  base  to  the  tip,  but  the  upper  wings  are  only  divided 
from  the  middle. 

There  are,  however,  exceptions  to  most  rules,  and  such  is  the 
case  with  the   Plume  Moths,   for  there   is  one   Plume  Moth 


528  INSECTS  AT   HOJEE. 

called  Adactyla,  or  Agdistes  Bennetii,  which  has  scarcely  the 
least  appearance  of  belonging  to  this  group  of  Moths,  the 
wings  not  being  divided  at  all.  The  popular  name  of  this 
Moth  is  the  Plumeless  Plume.  It  is  found  on  our  coasts, 
the  caterpillar  feeding  upon  sea-loving  plants,  such  as  the 
Lavender  Thrift  {Statice  liTnoniuTn).  Both  pairs  of  wings  of 
thi^  insect  are  very  long,  slender,  and  sharply  pointed.  The 
upper  pair  are  yellowish-brown  with  a  few  small  black  spots, 
and  the  under  pair  simply  ^ale  brown. 

The  commonest  and  one  of  the  prettiest  of  the  Plume 
Moths  is  shown  on  Plate  XVII.  Fig.  5.  It  is  popularly  known 
as  the  Lakge  White  Plume,  tlie  Skeleton,  or  the  Phantom,  all 
names  being  perfectly  appropriate.  Its  scientific  name  is 
Pterophoi^s  pentadactylus. 

This  very  beautiful  though  simply  coloured  insect  has  the 
wings  pui-e  snowy-white,  and  divided  into  separate  plumes,  as 
shown  in  the  illustration.  In  all  cases  the  feathering  of  the 
plumes  is  much  wider  on  the  inner  than  the  outer  side  of  the 
nervure,  very  much  like  the  structure  of  an  ordinary  bird's 
feather.  If  the  wings  be  examined  with  the  microscope,  it 
will  be  seen  that  the  long  fringes  which  form  the  feathering- 
are  composed  of  the  ordinary  scales  which  cover  the  wings  of 
the  Lepidoptera,  such  scale  being  drawn  out  to  a  great  length. 
Indeed,  length  of  scale  is  one  of  the  leading  characteristics  of 
these  Moths,  and  the  scales  which  clothe  the  base  of  the  wings 
are  also  remarkable  for  their  length.  When  viewed  by  a 
side  light,  these  plumes  have  a  satiny  lustre,  which  quite  dis- 
appears when  they  are  viewed  through  a  magnifying-glass,  so 
as  to  render  each  of  the  delicate  filaments  visible. 

The  Moth  conceals  itself  during  the  day,  making  its  appear- 
ance at  dusk,  when  it  flutters  about  like  a  snow-flake  driven  at 
random  by  the  wind.  It  never  makes  a  long  flight,  but  if 
distvirbed  in  one  spot,  just  flits  a  yard  or  two  and  again  settles 
on  some  leaf,  where  its  white,  outstretched,  though  not  outspread 
wings  render  it  very  conspicuous  when  at  rest.  It  never  folds 
its  wings  to  its  body  as  do  so  many  JNIoths,  but  remains  with 
them  stretched  on  either  side  to  their  very  fullest  extent,  as  if 
actually  courting  observation. 


THE  MANY-PLUME  MOTH.  529 

There  are  nearly  thirty  species  of  this  genus  known  to 
inhabit  England,  the  handsomest  of  which  is  certainly  the 
EosE  Plume  {Pterophorus  rhododactylus).  This  is  really  a 
very  lovely  insect.  It  is  only  partially  plumed,  the  upper 
wings  being  without  any  divisions,  and  only  the  lower  pair 
feathered.  The  whole  of  both  wings  is  rosy  pink,  except  the 
basal  half  of  the  upper  wings,  which  are  golden  yellow,  white, 
and  the  darkest  possi;ble  chestnut  brown. 

The  plainest  and  simplest  of  all  these  Moths  is  probably  the 
Stone  Plume  {Pterophorus  pterodactylus),  which  is  drawn  on 
Plate  XVII.  Fig.  6.  This  insect  is  simply  brown,  and  the 
darkest  of  all  the  species.  The  upper  wings  are  without 
plumes.     The  habits  of  all  the  species  are  very  similar. 

The  last  of  the  Plume  Moths,  and  indeed,  the  last  Moth  in 
om-  list  of  British  Lepidoptera,  is  the  beautiful  little  insect 
which  is  called  various  names,  only  one  of  which  is  in  any  way 
correct.  In  some  places  it  is  known  by  the  name  of  the 
Thousand  Plume,  in  others  by  that  of  the  Twenty  Plume,  and 
in  others  the  Many-Cleft  Plume,  sometimes  abbreviated  into 
Many  Plume.  This  last  name  is  the  only  one  which  is  correct  in 
any  way,  and,  after  all,  its  correctness  is  only  owing  to  its  vague- 
ness, which  is  almost  a  literal  translation  of  its  scientific  name, 
Alucita  polydadyla,  or  the  Many-fingered  Moth.  In  real 
fact  the  Moth  has  twenty-four  plumes,  which  radiate  from  the 
body,  so  that,  when  the  insect  is  at  rest,  its  outline  is  almost 
semicircular. 

It  is  but  a  little  insect,  the  largest  specimen  measui'ing 
barely  half  an  inch  across  the  outspread  wings.  In  its  habits 
it  is  quite  different  to  the  Plume  Moths.  They  are  always  to 
be  found  in  the  open  air,  whereas  the  Many-Plume  Moth  in 
almost  invariably  taken  in  outhouses  or  similar  buildings.  I  have 
frequently  found  it  on  the  windows  of  my  own  rooms,  its  peculiar 
shape  immediately  betraying  it.  It  can  easily  be  taken  by  the 
plan  called  '  pill-boxing,'  i.e.  putting  an  empty  pill-box  over 
the  Moth,  slipping  a  piece  of  card  or  paper  under  it,  and  then 
putting  on  the  lid  of  the  box  as  the  card  is  withdrawn.  The 
box  can  then  be  put  into  the  laurel  bottle,  or  into  a  vessel  in 
which  a  few  drops  of  chloroform  have  been  placed,  and  in  a  few 
minutes  a  perfect  specimen  will  be  at  the  collector's  disposal. 

M   M 


530  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

The  colour  of  this  little  Moth  is  very  pale  brown,  speckled  with 
grey  and  dark  brown,  and  taking  an  ochreous  tint  towards  the 
base  of  the  wings. 

The  larva  of  this  Moth  feeds  on  the  buds  of  the  honeysuckle, 
and  is  very  common.  About  the  end  of  July  or  the  beginning 
of  August  the  caterpillar  is  fall-fed,  and  then  spins  for  itself  a 
cocoon,  in  which  it  undergoes  its  changes.  This,  I  believe,  is 
the  only  Plume  Moth  that  makes  a  cocoon.  In  three  or  four 
weeks  from  the  time  of  its  change  into  the  pupal  state  it  is 
fully  developed,  and  then  makes  its  way  to  the  nearest  place  of 
concealment,  in  which  it  may  remain  dormant  throughout  the 
winter. 

In  those  places  where  the  honeysuckle  grows  wild,  and  man 
has  no  habitation  within  a  reasonable  distance,  the  Many- 
Plume  Moth  is  obliged  to  put  up  with  hollow  tree-trunks  and 
similar  localities.  But  barns,  sheds,  and  outhouses  generally 
are  much  more  convenient  places  of  refuge,  and  in  them  the 
Many-Plume  remains,  never  moving,  unless  disturbed,  from  the 
spot  in  which  it  settled.  It  is  quite  curious*  to  see  the  same 
spot  occupied  for  months  together  by  the  same  insect.  This 
little  creature  must  have  a  wonderful  power  of  resisting  cold, 
for  I  have  seen  it  flattened  against  the  wall  in  an  old  shed 
throughout  the  severest  winter,  and  even  though  the  tempera- 
ture must  several  times  have  been  but  little  above  zero,  the 
Moth  seemed  nothing  the  worse  for  it,  but  came  out  in  the 
following  spring,  the  warmth  having  completely  restored  it  to 
animation. 


HOMOPTEEA. 


M   M   2 


HOMOPTEEA. 


We  have  now  arrived  at  a  new  order  of  insects,  the  Hojioptera. 
This  order  includes  a  number  of  insects  that  are  apparently 
dissimilar,  but  which  can,  on  careful  examination,  be  recognised 
as  belonging-  to  the  same  group.  Our  first  business  is  to  under- 
stand the  name  of  Homoptera. 

This  name  is  formed  from  two  Greek  words,  signifying 
Same-winged,  and  is  given  to  the  insect  because  both  the  upper 
and  under  pairs  are  of  a  similar  character.  Both  pairs  are 
membranous,  the  upper  pair  are  longer  than  the  lower,  and 
they  do  not  lap  over  each  other  in  repose.  The  body  is  always 
convex,  which  partly  accounts  for  the  disposition  of  the  wings, 
the  antennae  are  usually  short,  and  the  feet  have  not  more  than 
three  joints.  The  mouth  is  set  rather  back  on  the  under 
surface  of  the  head,  and  is  furnished  with  a  proboscis  formed 
from  the  mandibles  and  maxillce,  which  are  very  slender  and 
elongated,  and  enclosed  in  the  labium,  which  is  formed  into  a 
sort  of  canal.  The  pupa  is  active,  and  bears  some  resemblance 
to  the  perfect  insect. 

In  this  order  are  comprised  several  well-known  insects,  such 
as  the  '  cuckoo-spit,'  the  aphis  or  green  blight,  and  the  scale 
insects,  besides  the  comparatively  rare  Cicada.  All  these  insects 
are  very  unlike  each  other,  but  they  agree  in  the  character  of 
the  wings,  the  form  and  position  of  the  proboscis,  and  the  mode 
of  transformation. 

It  has  already  been  mentioned  that  the  Homoptera  never 
have  more  than  three  joints  in  their  feet.  Mr.  Westwood 
considers  the  number  of  joints  in  the  tarsi  as  a  matter  of  such 
importance  that  he  bases  his  arrangement  upon  it,  and  divides 
the  Homoptera  into  three  groups,  those  which  have  three  joints 


534  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

in  the  tarsi,  those  which  have  two  joints,  and  those  which  only 
have  one  joint.  We  will  begin  with  the  first  of  these  groups, 
the  Trimera,  as  they  are  called.  All  these  insects  liave  very 
small  antennge,  at  the  end  of  which  is  a  slight  bristle.  The 
females  possess  a  complicated  and  beautiful  ovipositor,  with 
which  they  bore  into  the  stems  of  the  plants  in  which  they 
deposit  their  eggs.  The  structure  of  these  borers  should  be 
compared  with  that  of  the  boring  Hymenoptera,  which  have 
already  been  described.  Three  families  are  contained  in  this 
group,  only  two  of  which  find  representatives  in  England. 

The  first  of  these  families  is  called  the  Cicadidas,  of  which 
only  a  single  British  species  is  known  to  exist.  This  insect  is 
too  rare  to  have  any  popular  name,  and  is  called  Cicada 
anglica.  A  coloured  representation  of  this  interesting  insect 
is  given  on  the  frontispiece,  being  shown  in  the  act  of  flying. 
The  colouring  and  appearance  of  tliis  insect  are  so  well  given 
in  the  illustration  that  there  is  no  need  for  further  description 
on  that  head.  In  all  the  Cicadidas  the  head  is  short,  broad, 
and  transverse,  with  three  ocelli  set  in  a  triangle  on  the  back 
of  the  head,  and  two  very  large  and  prominent  compound  eyes. 
The  beak  is  three-jointed. 

This  is  a  rare  insect,  but  is  occasionally  found  in  various 
parts  of  the  kingdom,  never,  I  believe,  extending  its  journeys 
towards  the  northern  counties.  The  New  Forest  is  one  of  the 
localities  where  it  is  most  frequently  found.  In  '  The  Entomo- 
logist's Monthly  Magazine,'  vol.  i.  page  171,  is  an  account  by 
Mr.  C.  G.  Barrett  of  the  capture  of  a  female  Cicada  in  Surrey. 
The  insect  was  '  flying  in  the  sunshine  down  a  grassy  side,  and 
pitched  rather  suddenly  among  some  rushes  and  long  grass 
which  were  growing  in  a  wide  open  space  at  a  bend  of  the  path, 
where  I  managed  to  secure  it.  Its  strong  membranous  wings 
made  a  rustling  sound  similar  to  that  produced  by  dragon-flies, 
but,  being' a  female,  it  of  course  made  no  other  noise  whatever. 
I  am  pretty  certain  that  I  saw  another  specimen  a  few  days 
afterwards,  flying  by  the  same  spot  (one  of  the  warmest  and 
most  sheltered  nooks  in  the  neighbourhood),  but  its  flight  was 
so  rapid  that  there  was  no  chance  of  capturing  it.' 

The  males  are  usually  taken  by  being  beaten  out  of  the 
white  thorn,  while  the  females  haunt  the  common  bracken  fern. 


THE  CICADA.  535 

on  the  roots  of  which  it  is  supposed  that  the  larva  feeds.  The 
peculiar  sound  of  its  wings  has  already  been  noticed,  and  an 
allusion  made  to  sounds  produced  in  some  other  manner.  In 
most  of  the  CicadfB,  the  males  are  able  to  produce  a  very  loud, 
shrill,  and  monotonous  sound,  which  in  some  species  js  so  loud 
that  it  can  be  heard  at  the  distance  of  a  mile.  This  sound  is 
produced  by  means  of  a  remarkable  internal  apparatus,  con- 
sisting of  a  pair  of  tightly  stretched  membranes  or  'drums,' 
which  are  acted  upon  by  powerful  muscles.  This  apparatus  is 
guarded  from  harm  by  two  large  plates  formed  from  the  sides 
of  tlie  metasternvim.  If  these  plates  be  lifted  up,  the  drums 
can  be  plainly  seen  below  tliem,  the  space  between  the  drums 
and  the  plates  being  so  large  as  to  form  a  cavity,  which  evi- 
dently serves  as  a  sounding-board. 

Whether  ovir  British  species  sings  or  not  appears  to  be  a 
still  mooted  question  which  could  easily  be  settled.  It  is  true 
that  a  male  kept  in  captivity  for  two  or  three  days  made  no 
sound,  and  on  the  strength  of  this  very  negative  evidence,  the 
English  Cicada  was  set  down  as  dumb.  Now,  I  have  at  this 
moment  a  male  of  the  Great  Grreen  Grasshopper  under  a  glass 
shade.  He  was  perfectly  silent  for  some  time  after  he  was 
placed  in  confinement,  but  is  now  so  musical  that  he  becomes 
almost  a  nuisance,  his  loud,  shrill  cry  being  plainly  heard 
fi-om  the  room  below  that  in  which  I  am  sitting.  His  musical 
propensities  are  the  more  remarkable  as  he  kicked  oflf  one  of 
his  hind  legs  while  being  transferred  from  a  little  tumbler  to 
the  large  glass  shade.  Had  this  insect  been  as  rare  as  the 
Cicada,  and  had  it  lived  for  some  two  days  in  captivity  and 
then  died,  it  might  have  been  pronounced  to  be  dumb  with 
quite  as  good  reason. 

The  females — fortunately  for  the  ears  of  mankind — do  not 
possess  the  shrilling  apparatus,  but  they  are  provided  with  an 
instrument  which  is  in  its  way  quite  as  wonderful.  This  is  the 
boring  instrument  or  ovipositor.  The  principle  of  these  borers 
is  something  like  that  of  the  corresponding  instrument  in  the 
saw-fly  ;  but,  instead  of  being  composed  of  two  flat  saws,  the 
borer  of  the  Cicada  is  formed  of  a  double  spear-headed  in- 
strument, the  edges  of  the  spear-head  being  strongly  toothed. 
With  this  instrument  the  female  Cicada  bores  holes  in  the 
material  in  which  the  future  larva  is  to  be  produced,  and  lays 


536  INSECTS  AT   HOME. 

therein  lier  eggs.  The  larva  is  shaped  very  much  like  the 
perfect  insect,  except  that  it  has  no  wings,  and  the  fore-legs 
are  enormously  developed,  so  as  to  fit  them  for  digging.  "With 
these  excavating  limbs  they  sink  deep  burrows  into  the  earth, 
some  species  of  Cicada  reaching  a  depth  of  three  feet,  and 
feeding  on  the  roots  of  plants. 

The  pupa  is  almost  exactly  like  the  larva,  except  that  the 
rudimentary  wings  appear  in  the  form  of  four  thick  and  pointed 
projections  on  the  sides.  When  the  time  for  the  first  trans- 
formation approaches,  the  pupa  leaves  the  earth,  crawls  up 
some  convenient  plant,  and  there  undergoes  much  the  same 
process  as  has  been  related  of  the  dragon  flies  under  similar 
circumstances.  The  pupal  skin  splits  completely  along  the 
middle  of  the  thorax  and  across  the  head,  and  through  this 
T-shaped  aperture  the  perfect  Cicada  makes  its  exit  from  the 
pupal  shell. 

The  empty  pupal  skin  is  then  left  clinging  as  it  stood,  and, 
as  the  natural  elasticity  of  the  skin  causes  the  aperture  to 
close,  the  empty  skin  is  apparently  unchanged  in  external 
appearance,  its  translucency  alone  betraying  that  there  is 
nothing  but  air  inside  it.  Even  the  very  covering  of  the  eyes 
is  thrown  off,  and  I  find  that  although  the  hexagonal  facets 
of  the  compound  eye  are  plain  enough  when  viewed  through 
an  ordinary  pocket-magnifier,  no  trace  of  them  is  to  be  seen 
upon  the  cast  pupal  skin.  Indeed,  in  this  shed  skin  the 
horny  covering  of  the  eyes  looks  wonderfully  like  the  similar  part 
of  the  cast  skin  of  a  serpent.  The  great  Cicadas  of  Surinam, 
which  can  be  obtained  for  a  few  pence  at  any  naturalist's  shop, 
are  admirable  assistants  to  the  student,  as  their  great  size 
enables  him  to  handle  them  easily,  and  there  is  a  wonderful 
difference  between  the  dissection  of  an  insect  a  quarter  of  an 
inch  in  length  and  one  that  measures  from  two  to  three  inches. 

Passing  by  the  Fulgoridse,  or  Lantern-flies,  of  which  we 
have  no  British  examples,  we  come  to  the  third  family,  the 
O  Cercopidse,  which  are  plentifully  represented  in  this  country,  and, 
indeed,  are  much  too  plentifully  represented  according  to  the 
ideas  of  gardeners.  In  this  family  the  antennas  have  only  three 
joints,  the  last  joint  being  elongated  into  a  slender,  bristle- 
like filament.     There  are  only  two  ocelli,  which  are  set  either 


THE  FROG-HOPPEES. 


53V 


on  the  forehead  or  the  face,  and  the  legs  are  fitted  for  leaping. 
The   males    do    not    possess   any    sound-producing   apparatus. ' 
They   are    familiarly   kno^vn   in   their   perfect   state   by    the 
.popular  name  of  Hoppers,  and  in  their  larval  state  by  that  of 
Cuckoo-spit,  or  Frog-spit. 

The  name  Cercopis  is  Grreek,  and  was  used  by  the  ancient 
wi-iters  on  natural  history  to  denote  some  kind  of  Cicada. 

LXll 


1.  Ptyelus  bifasciatus.  2.  Centrotus  comutus.  3.  Aphis  tilise,  female. 

4.  Aphis  tiliae,  male.  a.  Aphis,  leg.  b.  Do.,  labium.  c.  Do.,  head. 


Our  first  example  of  this  family  is  the  Eared  Hopper 
{Centrotus  comutus),  which  is  shown  at  Fig.  2  on  Wood- 
cut LXII. 

This  creature  is  remarkable,  not  for  the  brilliancy  of  its 
colouring,  nor  for  the  boldness  of  its  marking ;  for  it  is  simply 
dark-brown  dotted  with  a  very  slight  yellowish-dun,  and  has 
no  markings  whatever. 


538  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

But  the  '  pronotum,'  or  first  portion  of  the  upper  part  of  the 
thorax,  is  developed  in  the  most  extraordinary  manner  into  a 
horn-like  projection  at  each  side,  while  the  centre  bears  a  long-, 
sword-like  appendage,  which  reaches  over  the  whole  of  the 
body  and  very  nearly  reaches  to  the  tip  of  the  abdomen.  The 
whole  of  the  upper  part  of  the  thorax,  the  two  appendages  at 
the  side,  and  the  sword-shaped  horn,  are  covered  with  tubercles, 
which  give  the  surface  a  glittering  aspect  when  the  light 
shines  on  it.  A  magnifying-glass  is  necessary  in  order  to  detect 
these  tubercles.  The  only  colour  in  the  upper  wings  is 
restricted  to  the  base,  where  there  is  a  little  patch  of  circular, 
eye-like  spots,  each  having  a  solid  black  centre,  then  a  white 
ring  and  then  a  narrow  black  ring  or  outline.  There  is  also  a 
slight  clouding  of  chestnut  brown. 

This  curious  insect  has  the  upper  wings  shining  and  rather 
yellowish,  and  the  under  wings  transparent  and  iridiscent,  with 
brown  nervures.  The  thighs  are  rusty  red,  and  the  rest  of  the 
leg  pitchy  black.  It  is  tolerably  common  in  woods  and  gardens, 
and  can  be  taken  in  the  sweep-net  by  passing  it  over  laurels, 
thistles,  and  the  herbage  of  the  hedge-side.  It  appears  in  May 
and  June.  The  first  specimen  of  this  insect  that  I  ever 
possessed  was  given  to  me  in  1850  by  the  late  Eev.  F.  W. 
Hope,  w;ith  whose  magnificent  collection  all  entomologists  are 
familiar. 

On  Plate  XVIII.  Fig.  1  is  represented  an  insect  which  is 
called  by  the  name  ofOLedra  aurita.  I  do  not  know  that  it 
has  any  popular  name.  Like  the  last-mentioned  insect,  it  has 
some  curious  projections  from  the  thorax,  which  in  this  case 
take  the  form  of  two  flat  projections  from  each  side,  looking 
somewhat  like  ears,  whence  the  specific  nam6/a'M■r^^a,  or  eared. 
The  edges  of  these  '  ears '  are  notched  or  waved.  It  is  not  a 
handsome  insect  in  point  of  colour,  its  principal  hue  being  dull 
olive-green,  which  is  apt  to  change  after  death  to  yellowish- 
brown.  The  head  is  covered  with  a  number  of  small  reddish 
tubercles.  As  to  the  rest  of  the  insect,  it  cannot  be  seen 
properly  until  the  wings  are  spread.  The  upper  pair  are  olive- 
green,  becoming  transparent  towards  the  tip,  and  the  nervures 
are  brown.  The  under  wings  are  pale  grey-brown  with  dark 
nervures.     The  abdomen  is  very  wide,  flat,  and  covered  with  a 


PLATE    XVIII. 
TERRESTRIAL   HOMOPTERA  AND   HETEROPTERA. 


^(i  1.  Ledra  aurita. 
\Jt)  2.  Ledra  aurita,  larva. 

3.  Triepphora  sanguinolenta. 

4.  Pentatoma  dissimile. 

5.  Stenocephalus  agilis. 

PLAIf TS : — 

Great  Ragwort  (Senecio  Jacohed).     Atove. 
White  Dead  Nettle  {Lmnium  alburn).    Below* 


THE  SCAELET  HOPPER.  539 

rather  homy  skin.     The  perfect  insect  jumps  when  alarmed, 
but  can  only  leap  a  very  short  distance. 

The  larva  of  this  insect  is  shown  at  Fig.  2  of  the  same  Plate. 
It  is  coloured  much  like  the  adult  insect,  but  has  no  Avings  nor 
the  least  signs  of  the  conspicuous  '  ears '  which  decorate  it 
when  adidt.  Even  when  it  assumes  the  pupal  state  these 
projections  are  not  visible,  their  places  being  merely  indicated 
by  two  raised  knobs.  It  is  not  a  common  insect,  and  has  been 
mostly  taken  in  the  New  Forest  by  beating  it  out  of  oak.  The 
larva  feeds  upon  oak,  and  does  not  surround  itself  with  the 
frothy  secretion  so  familiar  to  us  as  Cuckoo-spit.  One  of  them 
was  discovered  by  the  Eev.  T.  A.  Marshall,  while  digging  at 
the  roots  of  an  oak  in  January  ;  this  discovery  proving  that 
the  insect  hibernates  while  still  in  the  larval  state.  It  has 
been  found  in  Purfleet  in  Kent. 

On  the  same  Plate,  Fig.  3,  is  shown  a  very  beautiful  insect, 
which  in  point  of  colour  is  by  far  the  handsomest  of  our  British 
Homoptera.  This  is  the  Scarlet  Hopper  {Trieppkora — or 
Cercopis — sanguinolenta).  It  is  impossible  to  give  in  the' 
simple  black  and  white  of  printer's-ink  an  idea  of  the  beautiful 
and  bold  colouring  of  this  insect. 

That  part  which  appears  as  white  is  rich  scarlet,  and  the  rest 
deep  black,  both  having  a  velvety  appearance.  When  one  of 
these  beautiful  wings  is  placed  under  the  microscope,  the  cause 
of  the  rich  velvety  Ipok  is  at  once  shown.  The  siu-face  of  the 
wing,  instead  of  being  smooth,  as  it  appears  to  the  unaided  eye, 
is  covered  with  a  vast  number  of  minute  rounded  projections, 
very  much  like  those  on  the  upper  surface  of  a  geranium  petal. 
An  irregular  network  of  fine  black  lines  traverses  the  whole  of 
the  wing,  and  at  each  of  the  intersections  there  is  a  round 
black  spot  with  a  translucent  centre,  the  whole  of  these  markings 
having  the  effect  of  softening  and  enriching  the  colour  in  a 
very  effective  manner.  Both  the  black  and  the  red  portions  of 
the  wing  are  thus  adorned. 

This  handsome  insect  is  very  local,  and  in  many  parts  of  the 
country  is  never  seen.  It  used  to  be  very  plentiful  in  Bagiey 
"Wood,  near  Oxford,  and  all  the  specimens  in  my  collection 
were  taken  there  by  myself  in  1847.  It  was  always  found  on 
the  fern,  and  was  mostly  captured  by  using  the  sweep-net  at 


540  INSECTS  AT   HOME. 

random.  It  could  often  be  seen  sitting  on  the  fern-leaves,  but 
it  is  so  active  and  wary  that  as  soon  as  the  intending  captor 
approaches,  it  jumps  off  the  leaf,  falls  to  the  ground,  and  is  lost. 
Sometimes  it  flies  to  a  little  distance,  but  as  a  rule  it  does 
not  trouble  itself  to  use  its  wings,  but  merely  leaps  to  the 
ground. 

Next  come  those  insects  which  are  popularly  known  as 
Cuckoo-spits,  because  it  used  to  be  the  general  opinion  that 
they  were  formed  either  from  the  spittle  of  the  cuckoo  or  that 
of  the  frog,  and  in  consequence  they  have  also  received  the 
name  of  Frog-hoppers.  This  very  absurd  notion  is  by  no 
means  confined  to  this  country,  neither  is  it  modern ;  for  in  the 
days  of  Aristotle  the  insects  were  said  to  be  generated  from  the 
spittle  of  the  cuckoo,  while  the  French  popular  name  of 
Crachat  de  Grrenouilles  shows  that  the  notion  of  the  frog-spit 
prevails  on  the  Continent  as  well  as  in  England. 

One  of  these  insects,  scientifically  termed  Ptyelus  bifasciatus, 
is  shown  on  Woodcut  LXII.  Fig.  1. 

This  is  a  most  accommodating  creature  as  far  as  regards 
colour,  for  it  takes  almost  any  hue  or  mixture  of  hues  between 
grey  and  black.  Some  specimens  are  almost  wholly  black,  and 
some  are  entirely  grey.  Many  have  the  upper  wings  black,  and 
the  thorax  spotted  with  yellow.  Grenerally,  however,  the  insect 
is  crossed  with  two  bands  of  a  lighter  hue  than  its  ground 
colour,  whence  the  specific  name  of  bifasciatus,  or  two-banded. 

The  larva  of  this  and  allied  insects  has  a  very  cui'ious  mode  of 
life.  It  fixes  its  residence  on  the  young  and  tender  twigs,  and 
drives  its  proboscis  into  the  bark,  whence  it  draws  the  sap 
which  constitutes  its  nutriment.  Just  as  the  larvae  of  several 
insects  cover  their  bodies  with  the  remains  of  their  solid  food, 
so  are  the  larvae  of  the  Frog-hopper  protected  by  the  remains 
of  their  liquid  food.  They  eject  a  quantity  of  liquid,  which  is 
formed  into  bubbles,  and  takes  the  form  of  a  frothy  substance, 
in  which  the  body  of  the  larva  is  entirely  concealed.  As  every 
one  knows,  bubbles  have  a  proverbially  short  existence,  and 
these  bubbles  break  in  succession,  allowing  a  drop  of  clear 
transparent  fluid  to  collect  at  the  bottom  of  the  froth-mass. 
When  this  drop  becomes  too  large  to  be  upheld  it  falls  to  the 


WING  OF  THE  FROG-HOPPER.  541 

ground,  and  another  takes  its  place.  If  the  froth  be  put  aside 
the  larva  will  be  discovered  in  its  midst — a  little,  soft,  white 
creature,  with  tiny  black  eyes  that  form  a  curious  contrast  to 
the  general  white  hue  of  the  body. 

In  the  perfect  state  all  these  insects  jump  with  great  agility, 
and  in  this  movement  their  hind  legs  are  almost  exclusively 
employed.  The  commonest  of  all  the  species,  Aphrophora 
spumaHa,  or  the  Common  FKoa-HOPPER,  can  jump  to  a  won- 
derful distance,  even  unaided  by  its  wings.  Indeed,  the  ordinary 
leap  of  the  Frog-hopper  is  about  equal  to  that  of  a  man  who 
could  jump  four  hundred  yards  without  even  taking  a  run.  In 
making  this  astonishing  leap,  the  insect  is  aided  by  some  sharp 
spikes  or  spines  upon  the  ends  of  the  tibiae,  which  enable  the 
limb  to  take  a  firm  hold  of  the  ground. 

Perhaps  the  actual  damage  done  by  the  Frog-hopper  is  not 
so  great  as  is  imagined.  A  tree  contains  a  vast  amount  of  sap, 
and  none  of  our  British  Homoptera  possess  the  wonderful 
distilling  power  of  a  Madagascar  species  (Aphrophora  Goudotii), 
which  has  been  found  capable  of  pouring  out  a  considerable 
amount  of  clear  and  apparently  pure  water  in  the  very  middle 
of  the  day,  the  sap  appearing  simply  to  run  through  the  insect 
as  through  a  tube.  The  generic  name,  Aphrophora,  which  has 
been  given  to  this  and  many  allied  insects,  is  formed  from  two 
Greek  words,  literally  sig-nifying  '  foam-bearing.' 

To  the  unassisted  eye,  the  common  Frog-hopper  is  about 
as  inconspicuous  and  commonplace  an  insect  as  can  be  found 
anywhere.  The  magnifying-glass,  however,  alters  the  whole 
aspect  of  the  creature,  and  an  ordinary  pocket-lens  will  show 
that  the  upper  wings  are  covered  with  tiny  projections,  givino- 
them  an  appearance  very  much  like  that  of  shagreen. 

If,  however,  one  of  these  upper  wings,  or  elytra,  if  they  may 
be  so  called,  be  detached  from  the  insect,  and  viewed  throuo-h  a 
moderately  powerful  microscope— an  ordinary  half-inch  object- 
glass  being  employed — the  simple,  uninteresting  object  starts 
into  sudden  beauty.  The  groundwork  of  the  wing  is  seen  to  be 
composed  of  a  membranous  network,  much  like  that  of  the 
wings  of  the  dragon-fly,  and  upon  it  are  innumerable  round 
eye-like  spots,  arranged  in  irregular  transverse  rows.  These 
spots  are  of  uniform  size,  and  consist  of  a  dark  centre  sur- 
rounded by  a  white  transparent  line,  each  spot  being  separated 


542  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

from  its  neiglibour  by  a  space  about  equalling  its  own  diameter. 
These  spots  are,  in  fact,  the  little  tubercles  whose  existence  is 
described  as  being  detected  by  the  pocket-lens. 

Many  species  of  Frog-hopper  inhabit  England,  but  the  two 
which  have  been  selected  will  serve  as  excellent'  examples. 

The  next  group  of  this  remarkable  order  is  that  which  is 
named  Dimera,  or  two-jointed,  because  the  tarsus  has  only  two 
joints.  The  antennae  are  always  slender  and  longer  than  the 
head,  and  the  winged  individuals  possess  four  wings,  both  pairs 
being  of  much  the  same  texture.  We  will  pass  at  once  to  the 
important  family  of  Aphidse,  or  Plant-lice,"  sometimes  known 
under  the  popular  name  of  Grreen  Blight. 

One  of  the  commonest  of  these  most  remarkable  insects,  the 
Lime-Blight  {Aphis  tilice),  is  shown  on  Woodcut  LXII.  Figs.  3 
and  4,  the  upper  figure  representing  the  female,  and  the  lower 
the  male. 

The  colour  of  the  male  is  dull  yellow,  with  a  double  row  of 
black  dots  down  the  back.  In  the  wings  the  stigma,  or  spot,  is 
yellow,  and  all  the  nervures  are  yellowish-brown  at  the  tips. 
The  female  is  simply  yellow.  Fig.  b  represents  its  rostrum,  or 
beak,  and  Fig.  c  the  front  of  the  head,  all  these  figures  being 
much  magnified.  The  insect  can  be  taken  with  the  sweep-net 
in  long  grass,  which  the  male  loves  to  frequent,  while  the 
female  is  found  on  the  lime-tree. 

Insignificant  as  may  be  a  single  Aphis,  these  insects  are'  most 
formidable  from  their  numbers,  as  all  gardeners  know  to  their 
cost.  Eoses  are  often  so  thickly  covered  with  these  pestilential 
insects  that  the  leaves  and  buds  are  completely  hidden,  the 
latter  never  being  permitted  to  develope  themselves  into  flowers. 
Indeed,  there  is  scarcely  a  plant  that  has  not  its  Aphis,  and 
these  extraordinary  beings  not  only  haunt  the  leaves  and  the 
twigs  of  plants,  but  the  roots  and  the  fruit.  Mr.  Newman 
remarks  in  his  '  Letters  of  Eusticus ' :  '  Plant-lice  are  every- 
where. I  have  to-day  (August  15,  1835)  cut  open  codlin  after 
codlin,  and  found  the  pips  garrisoned  with  them ;  not  one  lone 
Aphis,  but  a  whole  troop  of  all  sizes.  When  I  let  in  the  day- 
light there  was  a  considerable  sprawling  and  waving  of  legs, 
and  no  small  alarm  in  the  hive,  but  by  degrees  they  got  used  to 
light  and  fresh  air,  and  were  quite  still.    I  tried  to  tickle  them 


INCREASE  OF  THE  APHIS.  543 

with  a  straw  in  order  again  to  watch  their  movements,  when, 
lo  and  behold,  they  were  all  dead — gathered  to  their  fathers — 
gone  to  the  tomb  of  all  the  Capulets  1  Some  had  heaved 
anchor,  and  dropped  from  the  pip ;  others,  fixed  more  firmly, 
had  died  at  their  posts,  and,  tucking  their  legs  together  under 
them,  hung  by  their  beaks. 

'  In  no  apple  was  there  any  road  in  or  out.  There  was  no 
chance  of  their  passing  to  the  exterior  air,  or  of  their  having 
come  from  it ;  indeed,  their  speedy  death  showed  that  change 
of  air  did  not  agree  with  them.  I  was  particularly  careful  in 
my  search  for  a  via,  but  there  was  none.  I  have  often  seen  the 
same  thing  in  a  bloated  poplar-leaf ;  but  here  is  a  possibility 
of  the  egg  being  laid  between  the  cuticles  of  the  leaf;  thus, 
the  sap-suction  commencing,  the  bloat  may  be  caused,  but  this 
is  impossible  in  a  huge  apple  with  an  inch  and  a  half  of  pulp 
in  every  direction.  I  am  unable  to  explain  the  mystery ;  and, 
like  many  other  wiseacres,  content  myself  witH  wondering 
how,  in  the  name  of  fortune,  the  Aphides  got  there.' 

These  insects  are  prolific  almost  beyond  belief.  As  a  general 
rule,  insects  lay  eggs  which  are  hatched,  pass  through  the  state 
of  larva  and  pupa,  and  then  become  perfect  insects.  But  the 
Plant-lice  go  on  a  very  different  plan.  Sometimes,  as  if  to 
show  that  they  are  amenable  to  law,  they  do  lay  eggs ;  but 
this  is  the  exception  and  not  the  rule, ,  which  is  somewhat 
as  follows,  though  varied  every  now  and  then  by  these  most 
eccentric  of  insects. 

A  female  Aphis  takes  her  place  on  a  branch — say  of  the 
rose — plunges  her  beak  into  the  tender  bark  and  begins  to 
suck  the  sap.  After  a  short  time  she  begins  to  produce  young 
Aphides,  at  an  average  rate  of  fourteen  per  diem.  These 
young  creatures  are  just  like  their  mother,  only  less,  and 
immediately  follow  her  example  by  first  sucking  the  sap  of 
the  plant  and  then  producing  fresh  young.  As  to  the  opposite 
sex,  it  is  no  business  of  theirs,  and  I  have  often  wondered 
that  the  Shakers  have  not  adduced  the  Aphides  in  support 
of  their  peculiar  tenets.  The  extent  to  which  this  peculiar 
mode  of  increase  can  be  carried  may  be  imagined  from  the 
fact  that  a  single  female  Aphis,  isolated  from  the  other  sex, 
began  to  produce  prolific  females,  which  in  their  turn  pro- 
duced others,  and  so  on  for  four  years ;  during  the  whole  of 


544  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

which  time  not  a  male  Aphis  had  been  suffered  even  to  ap- 
proach them. 

It  is  in  consequence  of  this  remarkable  mode  of  production 
that  the  twigs  and  buds  become  so  rapidly  covered  with 
Aphides,  the  quickly-succeeding  generations  crawling  over  the 
backs  of  their  predecessors,  so  as  to  arrive  at  an  unoccupied  spot 
of  bark  in  which  they  can  drive  their  beaks.  Thus,  at  the  be- 
ginning of  a  week,  say  on  Monday,  a  rose-tree  may  be  apparently 
free  from  Aphides,  or  have  at  the  most  six  or  seven  of  the 
'  blight '  upon  it.  But,  by  Thursday,  the  whole  plant  will  be 
so  thickly  covered  with  Aphides  that  scarcely  a  particle  of  the 
bark  can  be  seen,  the  whole  being  crowded  with  the  green 
bodies  of  the  insect,  each  with  its  beak  dug  deeply  into  the 
plant,  and  draining  it  of  its  juices.  It  is  difficult  to  prescribe 
any  mode  of  getting  rid  of  these  garden  pests.  The  double-brush 
answers  as  well  as  anything  I  know  that  can  be  applied  by  the 
hand  of  man ;  but  there  is  nothing  so  effective  as  the  natural 
foes  of  the  Aphides,  namely  the  Lady-birds,  whose  mode  of  feed- 
ing has  already  been  described,  and  the  Syrphi  or  Hawk-flies. 

If  the  reader  will  refer  to  the  illustration  on  Woodcut 
LXII.,  he  will  see  that  from  the  back  of  the  Aphis  and  to- 
wards the  tail  there  are  two  slender  projections.  These  are 
tubes,  from  which  exudes  a  sweet  liquid ;  which,  with  the  aid 
of  the  microscope,  can  be  seen  starting  in  minute  drops  from 
the  end  of  each  tube.  When  the  Aphides  are  in  great  pro- 
fusion upon  a  tree,  this  liquid  falls  from  them,  and  covers  the 
leaves  with  the  sweet,  sticky  substance  which  is  so  familiar  to 
us  under  the  name  of  '  honey-dew.'  Trees  thus  distinguished  are 
always  overrun  by  swarms  of  ants,  which  lick  the  sweet  drop- 
pings from  the  leaves  and  hold  high  revels  on  this  substance, 
whose  origin  was  once  so  mysterious. 

The  ants  even  go  farther  than  this.  Not  content  with 
taking  the  honey-dew  that  has  fallen  from  the  Aphides,  they 
anticipate  its  fall,  and  eagerly  lap  up  the  sweet  secretion  as  it 
exudes  from  the  insects.  In  fact,  they  make  much  the  same 
use  of  Aphides  as  we  do  of  cows,  and  even  carry  off  the  ant- 
cows,  as  they  may  be  called,  to  their  own  nests,  and  there  keep 
them.  That  the  ants  do  this  has  long  been  known,  but  the 
notion  of  keeping  milch-cows  seemed  so  far  beyond  the  capaci- 
ties of  an  insect  that  many  persons  refused  to  give  credence 


ANTS  AND  THEIR  MILCH-COWS.  545      h.   *": 

0< 

to  so  romantic  a  story.  It  is,  however,  perfectly  true,  as  ^  (_^ 
may  be  seen  by  the  following  extract  from  the  'Letters  of  hi  f~" 
Rusticus ' : —  ih  IjJ 

'  Another  odd  station  for  Aphides  is  on  the  roots  of  plants.  (L  3^ 
I   have   found  them   by  hundreds  on   a   thistle-root,  closely  P 
packed  together,  and  almost  as  white  as  snow.     The  other  day^  fl 
I  pulled  up  a  large  thistle  that  grew  on  an  ant-hill,  and  thus  I 
brought  to  light  a  whole  colony  of  these  white  Aphides.     I     ^' 
had  long  known  of  the  great  value  which  ants  set  on   these 
little  beasts ;  so  I  shook  down  some  dozen  of  them  from  the 
thistle-root,  among  the  ants,  which  were  all  a-swarm  at  the 
damage  I  had  done  to  their  dwelling. 

'No  sooner  were  the  ants  aware  of  the  presence  of  the 
Aphides,  than  they  began  to  fondle  them  with  their  legs, 
sometimes  positively  taking  them  round  the  neck,  to  tap  them 
on  the  back  with  their  antennae,  and  to  lick  them  with  their 
tongues ;  they  then  took  hold  of  them  with  their  jaws  and 
lifted  them,  from  the  ground,  and  carried  them  with  the 
greatest  care,  one  by  one,  into  the  recesses  of  the  nest.  I 
walked  by  the  same  way  about  three  hours  afterwards,  and 
found  the  nest  all  quiet  and  orderly,  and  not  an  Aphis  was  to 
be  seen.  So  I  went  to  work  with  my  knife  and  scraped  down 
the  side  of  the  hill.  I  soon  came  to  the  Aphides.  They  were 
clustered  together  on  little  bits  of  thistle-root,  which  had 
been  broken  off  in  the  ground,  and  were  attended  by  numbers 
of  ants.  When  the  ants  found  their  cattle  were  again  in 
jeopardy,  they  drew  them  gently  from  the  root  and  carried 
them  still  farther  into  the  nest. 

'  I  am  qmte  convinced  that  honey-dew  is  a  secretion  from 
the  Aphides,  and  that  ants  devour  this  honey-dew,  and  a 
sweet,  clear,  liquid  honey  it  is.  I  have  often  watched  an  ant 
go  from  one  Aphis  to  another,  stand  behind  each,  and  gently 
squeeze  the  body  with  its  fore-legs ;  perhaps  one  Aphis  in  ten, 
not  more,  will  give  out  a  small  drop  of  honey  as  clear  as 
crystal,  which  the  ants  instantly  swallow.  The  ants  take 
much  more  care  of  the  Aphides  than  the  Aphides  do  of  them- 
selves ;  they  are  sad,  dull,  stupid  creatures.  It  is  very  pretty 
to  see  the  licking  and  washing  and  cleaning  and  caressing  which 
the  ants  constantly  bestow  on  them.     When  the  Aphides  cast 

N   N 


546  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

their  skin,  the  ants  instantly  carry  it  away,  nor  will  they  let 
any  dirt  or  rubbish  remain  among  them  or  on  them. 

'  But  the  most  amusing  care  of  the  ant  is  guarding  the 
Aphides  from  the  attacks  of  that  little  parasitic  fly,  whose 
operations  Mr.  Haliday  has  so  well  described.  You  must  have 
seen  a  sheep-dog  run  over  the  backs  of  a  whole  flock  of  sheep, 
when  closely  crowded  together,  in  order  to  bring  back  some 
sinner  that  has  gone  astray;  so  will  the  ants,  in  the  hot 
sunshine,  run  about  over  an  establishment  of  Aphides,  driving 
away  the  rascally  parasite  that  is  for  ever  hovering  over  to 
destroy  them.' 

The  reader  will  doubtless  have  noticed  that  some  Aphides 
have  wings  and  that  others  have  none.  In  fact,  by  far  the 
greater  number  of  these  insects  are  without  wings,  like  the 
central  figure  on  Woodcut  LXII.  In  the  early  part  of  the 
year  they  are  all  without  wings,  those  organs  being  added 
about  the  end  of  summer. 

The  efiect  which  these  insects  have  upon  vegetation  is 
extraordinary.  As  to  the  hop-plant,  it  is  in  a  great  measure 
dependent  for  its  success  upon  the  presence  or  absence  of  the 
Aphis,  which  in  hop-growing  districts  is  called  The  Fly,  no 
other  winged  insect  being  deserving  of  such  a  name.  All 
hop-growers  watch  their  crops  with  the  utmost  assiduity,  and 
the  presence  of  the  Aphis,  though  only  upon  a  few  plants, 
causes  consternation  in  the  hearts  of  the  growers.  Owing  to 
the  astonishing  fecundity  of  the  insect,  and  the  rapid  manner 
in  which  plants  which  were  perfectly  free  from  the  Aphis  become 
absolutely  covered  with  its  green  armies,  an  idea  is  prevalent 
that  the  insects  are  brought  by  certain  winds  ;  and  no  sooner 
does  a  chill,  depressing,  north  or  .north-western  wind  blow  for 
any  length  of  time,  than  all  the  gardeners'  heads  are  shak- 
ing ominously,  and  all  their  tongues  are  muttering  fears  of 
blight. 

Now,  absurd  as  are  many  of  their  notions,  such  an  idea  as 
this  could  not  have  gained  so  universal  a  liold  without  having 
some  element  of  truth  in  it,  which  element  I  take  to  be  this. 
The  Aphides  form  the  food  of  very  many  insects.  The  larvae 
of  the  Ladybii'ds  feed  entirely  upon  them,  and  so  do  those  of 
the  Lacewing-flies,  both  of  which  insects  have  already  been 
described.     They  are  also  eaten  by  the  larvae  of  the  swift  and 


TKE  APHIS  AND  THE  ICHNEUMON-PLY.  547 

active  Syrphida,  which  will  presently  be  mentioned.  Several 
Hyiuenoptera  provision  their  nests  with  them,  and  others  of 
th(?  parasitic  kind,  such  as  Chalcidicae,  Proctotrupidse,  Cyni- 
pidae,  and  Ichneumonidse. 

As  to  these  last  insects,  the  mode  in  which  they  operate  on 
the  Aphis  is  very  remarkable.  As  may  be  inferred  from  the 
size  of  the  Aphides,  on  which  they  are  parasitic,  they  are  of 
very  small  dimensions,  and  one  of  these  tiny  creatures  when 
standing  on  the  back  of  an  Aphis  which  it  is  about  to  wound, 
looks  much  like  a  rook  perched  on  a  sheep's  back. 

When  the  fatal  egg  has  been  introduced  under  the  skin  of 
the  Aphis,  the  wounded  insect,  like  the  stricken  liart,  separates 
itself  from  its  fellows  and  passes  to  the  under  side  of  a  leaf, 
and  there  fixes  itself.  Its  body  soon  begins  to  swell,  and  at 
last  becomes  quite  globular  and  horny,  the  change  being 
caused  by  the  death  of  the  Aphis  and  the  rapid  growth  of  the 
parasite  within  it.  The  ichneumon  passes  rapidly  through  its 
changes,  and  in  a  short  time  assumes  the  perfect  form,  always 
with  its  head  next  the  tail  of  its  victim,  pushes  off  the  last  two 
or  three  segments  of  the  dead  Aphis  and  makes  its  escape  into 
the  world.  The  dead  and  empty  skins  of  such  hapless  Aphides 
may  be  found  plentifully  towards  the  end  of  summer,  sticking 
firmly  to  the  leaf,  and  showing  the  round  aperture  through 
which  the  destroying  parasite  has  crept. 

Sometimes  there  is  a  sort  of  contest  between  the  Aphis 
and  the  ichneumon-fly,  the  former,  however,  having  no  more 
chance  against  its  tiny  foe  than  has  a  rabbit  against  a  weasel. 
If  the  Aphis  have  its  beak  deeply  plunged  into  the  bark,  the 
ichneumon-fly  has  an  easy  task,  for  the  Aphis  can  do  nothing 
but  kick  and  struggle  while  anchored  to  the  spot  by  its  pro- 
boscis, and  all  that  the  ichneumon-fly  has  to  do  is  to  make  its 
deadly  lunge.  But,  if  the  Aphis  be  wandering  about  the 
plant,  the  ichneumon-fly  has  to  walk  about  with  it,  and  try 
first  one  side  and  then  the  other,  until  she  can  find  an 
opportunity  of  depositing  her  egg. 

We  now  come  to  a  very  remarkable  group  of  Aphides  which 
have  been  gathered  together  under  the  generic  name  of 
Eriosoma,  or  Wool-bodied,  because  their  bodies  are  covered 
with  a  substance  like   very  fine  cotton  wool.     These  insects 

N  N  2 


548  INSECTS  AT  HOME, 

do  not  possess  the  honey-dew  distilling  apparatus,  and  the 
antennae  are  shorter  than  in  the  generality  of  the  Aphidse.  The 
peculiarity,  however,  which  principally  distinguishes  them  is 
the  envelopment  with  woolly  fibre,  which  almost  entirely  covers 
the  body,  and  renders  it  so  light  in  comparison  with  its  size 
that  it  can  be  blown  through  the  air  like  a  small  tuft  of  swan's 
down,  and  in  this  way  it  passes  from  one  locality  to  another. 
The  best  known  of  these  insects  is  that  which  is  popularly 
called  American  Blight  {Eriosoma  aphis,  or  Lachnus  lani- 
gera),  which  sometimes  overruns  our  orchards  in  a  marvellously 
rapid  manner,  and  sometimes  destroys  hundreds  of  apple-trees 
by  its  vast  numbers. 

The  following  graphic  and  amusing  description  of  this  insect, 
and  the  best  mode  of  getting  rid  of  it,  is  given  in  the  '  Letters 
of  Eusticus,'  to  which  reference  has  already  been  made : — 

'  I  don't  know  why  our  brethren  on  the  other  side  the 
Atlantic  are  charged  with  sending  us  the  greatest  pests  of  our 
orchards,  but  so  it  is.  We  call  an  insect  the  American  Blight, 
which,  for  aught  I  could  ever  make  out,  may  have  come  from 
China  or  Botany  Bay.  However,  a  name  once  in  vogue  will 
have  its  day ;  and  one  might  as  well  attempt  to  turn  a  pig  in 
an  entry  as  argue  against  an  established  belief,  so  American 
Blight  it  shall  be.  In  very  hot  weather  you  may  now  and 
then  see  this  Blight  on  the  wing  ;  it  has  just  the  look  of  a  bit 
of  cotton,  or  a  downy  seed,  floating  in  the  air,  and  is  driven  by 
every  breath  of  wind  quite  as  readily. 

'  If  you  catch  and  examine  it,  you  will  find  it  to  be  just  like 
the  plant-louse  which  infests  our  rose-trees,  &c. ;  but,  unlike 
all  other  plant-lice,  it  is  clothed  and  muffled  up  with  cotton- 
wool in  such  quantities,  that  you  would  at  first  have  no  more 
idea  that  the  lump  contained  an  insect  than  that  the  mass  of 
clothes  on  a  stage-coach  box  in  winter  contained  a  man.  Some 
folks  wonder  what  can  be  the  use  of  so  much  clothing  ;  I  am 
not  much  of  a  theorist,  but  I  should  guess  that  the  vermin 
came  from  the  torrid  zone,  and  nature  kindly  furnishes  this 
garment  to  protect  them  from  the  cold  of  our  climate. 

'  These  Blights  wander  wherever  the  wind  pleases  to  carry 
them ;  and  if  bad  luck  should  drive  one  of  them  against  the 
branch  of  an  apple-tree,  there  it  will  stick,  creep  into  a  crack 
in  the  bark,  bring  forth  its  young,  and  found  a  colony.    The 


THE  AMERICAN  BLIGHT.  549 

white  cotton  soon  appears  in  large  bunches ;  branch  after 
branch  becomes  infected ;  the  tree  grows  cankery,  pines,  and 
dies.  How  this  is  effected  no  one  knows,  though  'the  plague 
and  its  doings  are  too  evident  to  escape  the  notice  of  the 
commonest  clown. 

'  In  large  orchards  it  is  in  vain  to  hope  for  a  cure,  but  not  so 
in  gardens.  Directly  you  see  the  least  morsel  of  cotton,  make 
up  your  minds  to  a  little  trouble,  and  you  will  get  rid  of  it.  In 
the  first  place,  get  a  plasterer's  whitewashing  brush,  then  get 
a  large  pot  of  double  size,  make  your  man  heat  it  till  it  is 
quite  a  liquid,  then  go  with  him  into  the  garden  and  see  that 
he  paints  over  every  patch  of  white,  though  not  bigger  than  a 
sixpence ;  the  next  morning  have  the  size-pot  heated  again, 
and  have  another  hunt,  and  keep  on  doing  so  every  morning 
for  a  fortnight.  Your  man  will  tell  you  it's  no  use  ;  tell  him 
that's  your  business,  not  his  :  your  neighbours  will  laugh  at  you 
for  your  pains  ;  do  it  before  they  are  up.  I  have  tried  it  and 
known  it  to  be  effectual.  Spirit  of  tar  has  been  used  with 
partial  effect,  so  also  has  resin ;  whitewashing  has  been  often 
tried,  and,  as  it  contains  some  size,  is  not  entirely  useless,  and 
some  horticulturists  think  it  ornamental ;  I  do  not.' 

Even  in  the  winter  time  the  task  of  extermination  can  be 
carried  on.  When  the  weather  becomes  cold,  the  Aphides  crawl 
down  the  trunks  of  the  trees  and  hide  themselves  among  the 
roots  below  the  surface  of  the  soil.  As  they  cannot  endure  the 
cold,  the  best  way  of  getting  rid  of  them  is  to  expose  them  to 
it.  So,  in  the  depth  of  winter,  when  the  thermometer  is  at  its 
lowest,  an  inch  or  two  of  soil  should  be  scratched  up  around 
the  trunks  of  the  trees,  so  as  to  expose  the  roots  and  let  the 
cold  air  upon  the  Aphides  that  are  in  hiding.  The  ground 
should  be  freshly  turned  up  every  day  while  the  frost  lasts, 
and,  when  the  thaw  comes,  the  ground  should  be  well  saturated 
with  a  solution  of  ammonia  before  the  earth  is  replaced.  The 
ammonia-water  from  the  gas-works  is  amply  sufficient  for  this 
purpose,  is  very  cheap  and  easily  obtained. 

We  now  come  to  the  last  great  group  of  the  Homoptera, 
namely,  the  Monomera,  or  those  which  have  but  one  joint  in 
the  tarsus.  These  are  all  included  in  the  genus  Coccus,  popu- 
larly known  as  Scale  Insects,  on  account  of  the  singular  form 


550  INSECTS  AT   HOME, 

of  the  female,  and  Mealy-Bugs,  on  account  of  the  white  sub- 
stance which  envelopes  the  young  Cocci.  Mr.  Westwood  re- 
marks that-  these  form  '  one  of  the  most  anomalous  tribes  of 
insects  with  which  we  are  acquainted,  and  which  already  prove 
that  annulose  animals  may  exist,  which  become  more  and  more 
imperfect  as  they  approach  the  winged  state,  and  which  in 
that  state  lose  all  trace  of  articulation  in  the  body  as  well  ^s 
of  articulated  limbs  (as  in  the  female  Cocci),  leaving,  in  fact, 
inert  and  fixed  masses  of  animal  matter,  motionless  and  ap- 
parently senseless,  and  which  resemble  nothing  more  nearly 
than  the  vegetable  excrescences  called  galls.'  The  same 
eminent  entomologist  also  points  out  the  remarkable  analogy 
which  exists  between  the  Coccidae  among  the  insects,  and  the 
Cirrhipeda,  or  Barnacles,  among  the  crustacea. 

It  is  rather  difficult  to  find  a  starting-point  for  the  history 
of  this  remarkable  insect,  but  we  will  begin  at  the  early  larval 
condition.  In  this  state  both  sexes  are  alike,  very  small,  and 
nearly  as  large  as  the  dot  over  the  letter  i ;  six-footed,  active, 
and  having  two  long  and  slender  bristles  at  the  end  of  the 
body.  When  they  are  large  enough  to  shift  for  themselves, 
they  proceed  along  the  branches  and  fix  their  beaks  into  the 
bark  of  the  twig,  or  the  spider-veins  of  the  leaf,  and  remain 
from  that  time  motionless,  growing  rapidly  in  size,  but  losing 
the  tail-bristles.  Thus  they  remain  throughout  the  winter, 
and  not  until  the  following  spring  do  the  sexes  develope  them- 
selves ;  the  males  assuming  their  wings  and  taking  to  flight, 
and  the  females  remaining  where  they  were.  The  subsequent 
career  of  the  insect  has  been  traced  by  Alphonse  Karr,  in  his 
'Voyage  autom*  de  mon  Jardin,'  a  translation  of  which  was 
published  by  Messrs.  Eoutledge  and  Co.  in  1854 : — 

'  The  journey  once  completed,  it  will  repose  after  it  for  the 
rest  of  its  life.  It  will  fasten  itself  to  a  young  branch,  and 
not  only  will  it  never  leave  it  again,  but,  still  fm-ther,  it  will 
never  quit  the  point  of  the  branch  upon  which  it  has  established 
itself.  It  grows — that  is  its  mission,  that  is  its  duty.  When  it 
become  as  large  as  a  pea,  there  comes  a  most  singular  little 
fly,  of  a  deep  red,  with  two  wings  twice  as  long  as  its  body. 
These  wings  are  of  an  opaque  white,  ornamented  on  the  out- 
ward side  by  a  rich  carmine  band.  These  little  flies  are  the 
males  of  the  animated  tubercles. 


THE  SCALE  INSECT.  551 

'  Among  these  insects  may  be  seen  that  which  the  Eomans 
required  of  woman  carried  to  the  highest  degree — 

Lanam  fecit,  domum  servavit. 
She  spun  her  wool  and  kept  her  house. 

While  the  male — small,  rakish,  nobly  clothed  in  purple — flies 
about  at  hazard,  the  female,  scarcely  living,  taken  for  a 
gall  of  the  tree,  for  the  swelling  of  a  leaf  or  branch,  remains 
motionless  and  waits  for  her  husband.  The  male,  who  is 
singularly  small  in  comparison,  walks  over  her,  surveys  her 
all  over,  for  she  is  for  him  a  sufiSciently  large  tract.  He  ex- 
amines her  from  north  to  south  and  from  east  to  west,  and  it 
is  not  until  he  is  fatigued  with  running  about  over  his  beloved 
object  that  he  risks  the  avowal  of  his  flame  ;  after  which, 
flying  once  or  twice  round  his  beloved,  he  departs. 

'  The  wife  from  that  moment  thinks  of  nothing  but  the 
numerous  family  she  has  to  bring  into  the  world — about  two 
thousand  children.  She  begins  to  lay,  and  her  eggs  all  come 
enveloped  in  a  sort  of  cotton.     Lanam  fecit. 

'  Then  the  Scale  Insect  changes  its  form — its  beljy  flattens 
and  becomes  so  thin  that  it  joins  the  back  ;  which  i"orms  a 
hollow  space  under  it  in  which  are  its  eggs.  Its  back  hardens, 
the  belly  and  the  back  are  quite  confounded ;  the  Scale  Insect 
withers,  dies,  and  becomes  a  dwelling-place  for  its  young  ones. 
This  is  better  than  the  domum  servavit ;  she  does  not  remain 
in  the  house,  she  becomes  the  house  itself.' 

In  England  the  Scale  Insects  are  aij  unmitigated  nuisance, 
especially  in  greenhouses  and  hothouses,  where  they  flourish 
in  great  abundance,  sticking  upon  the  leaves  of  various 
plants  and  sadly  vexing  the  heart  of  the  gardener.  Yet  some 
of  the  Cocci  are  directly  beneficial  to  man,  though  those 
species  which  reside  in  our  country  have  never  yet  been  put 
to  any  use.  It  is  to  an  Asiatic  species  of  Coccus  (^Coccus 
lacca,  or  Lac  Iksect)  that  we  are  indebted  for  our  sealing- 
wax  and  the  basis  of  many  varnishes.  The  female  insect 
produces  the  well-known  material  called  '  lac,'  and  without  her 
aid  we  should  be  deprived  of  a  most  useful  as  well  as  orna- 
mental substance. 

Another  of  these  insects.  Coccus  ceriferus,  produces  in 
abundance  a  kind  of  wax,  in  which  the  body  of  the  female  is 


552  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

entirely  enveloped.  But  the  most  valuable  of  these  creature;; 
is  perhaps  the  Cochineal  Insect  {Coccus  cacti)  of  South 
America,  from  which  is  obtained  the  most  brilliant  of  crimson 
dyes.  Other  species  of  Coccus  produce  a  fine  scarlet  colour, 
but  none  of  them  can  be  compared  with  the  Mexican  insect 
for  the  wonderful  abundance  and  rich  colom*  of  the  dye. 
The  valuable  colour  called  carmine  is  made  from  the  Cochineal 
insect. 


HETEEOPTEEA. 


HETEKOPTEfeA. 

CHAPTEE   I. 
AUROCORISA,   OR  AIR-BUGS. 

The  reader  may  remember  that  the  insects  of  the  last  order  are 
called  Homoptera  because  their  wings  are  of  similar  character. 
In  the  new  order  which  now  comes  before  us,  the  ^vings  are 
formed  after  a  manner  which  has  earned  for  them  the  name  of 
Heteroptera,  or  Dififerent-wings.  They  include  a  large  number 
of  familiar  insects,  many  of  them  aquatic,  among  which  may  be 
mentioned  the  Water-fleas,  the  Water-scorpions,  the  Water- 
boatmen,  and  the  too  familiar  Bed-bug. 

In  some  of  these  insects  the  wings  are  not  developed,  but  in 
those  that  are  furnished  with  wings  the  upper  pairs  are  larger 
than  the  lower,  and  lap  over  them  when  the  insect  is  at  rest, 
and  the  basal  part  of  them  is  hard  and  leathery,  while  the 
remainder  is  membranous  and  translucent.  The  body  is  always 
flattened,  and  the  mouth  furnished  with  a  beak,  or  proboscis, 
which  starts  from  the  under  sui'face  of  the  head,  but  from  the 
front  and  not  tlie  back.  The  pupa  is  active,  and  resembles  the 
perfect  insect  in  appearance,  save  that  it  does  not  possess  wings. 

These  insects  are  broadly  divided  into  two  great  sections, 
the  one  called  Hydrocorisa,  or  Water-bugs,  and  the  other, 
Greocorisa,  or  Land-bugs. 

We  will  begin  with  the  latter  of  these  two  sections.  INIr. 
Westwood  prefers  to  give  to  the  insects  the  name  of  Aurocorisa, 
or  Air-bugs,  because  many  of  the  species  do  not  affect  the  land, 
but  pass  the  greater  part  of  their  time  on  the  water,  though 
they  do  not  dive  beneath  its  surface. 

The  first  of  these  insects  is  the  rather  rare  one  which  is 
represented  in  the  accompanying  illustration.     Having  already 


556 


INSECTS  AT  HOME. 


been  practised  in  the  anatomy  of  other  orders,  the  reader  will 
not  find  mucli  difficulty  in  mastering  the  details  of  a  Hetero- 
pterous  insect.  The  chief  point  lies  in  the  beak,  proboscis,  or 
promuscis,  as  it  is  called  by  some  writers.  This  instrument 
is  either  three  or  four-jointed,  the  latter  being  the  case 
with    the.  insect    which   is  drawn   in  the    illustration.       This 


LXIir 


1.  Seliirus  dublus.         2.  Head,  front  view  ;   a.  Central  lobe  of  face  ;   6,  Crown.  3.  Head, 

under  side  ;   a.  Rostral  channel,  with  the  rostrum  or  beak  in  position.  4.  Head,  upper  side  ; 

a,  Ocellus.  5.  Head,  profile  ;  a,  Rostrum.  6.  Rostrum.  7.  Antenna.  8.  Leg; 

a.  Fulcrum  ;    6,  Femur  or  thigh  ;   c,  Tibia  ;   d.  Tarsus.  9.  Elytra  and  wing ;    a,  Clavus ; 

h,  Corium  ;  c,  Elytron  ;   d,  Membrane ;   e,  Wing. 


does  not,  however,  constitute  the  whole  of  the  apparatus,  as  it 
is  only  a  sheath  for  the  real  piercing  instrument,  and  is,  like 
the  mask  of  the  dragon-fly  larva,  a  development  of  the  labium. 
If  this  sheath  be  opened  under  a  microscope  it  will  be  found  to 
contain  four  delicate  sharply-pointed  bristles,  which,  when 
examined  by  the  aid  of  the  microscope,  are  seen  to  be  the  jaws 
and  maxillae  of  the  insect  modified  into  this  singular  form.    In 


THE  bishop's  mitee.  557 

some  of  the  predaceous  species  the  end  of  the  mandible  is 
spear-shaped,  and  the  outer  side  of  each  spear-head  is  armed 
with  a  row  of  extremely  sharp  teeth,  not  at  all  unlike  those 
of  a  shark.  Indeed,  I  have  in  my  ethnological  collection  a 
Kingsmill  Island  spear,  which  is  armed  along  the  side  with 
shark's  teeth,  and  bears  a  singular  resemblance  to  the  mandible 
of  a  Water-boatman,  an  insect  whicli  will  be  presently  described. 

Unfortunately,  very  few  of  the  Heteroptera  possess  popular 
names,  so  that  I  am  compelled  to  use  the  scientific  titles. 
The  name  of  the  insect  which  is  shown  on  Woodcut  LXIII.  is 
Sehirus,  or  Cydnus  dubius,  and  it  belongs  to  the  family 
Cydnidse.  It  is  a  rather  small,  but  decidedly  handsome  insect. 
The  general  hue  is  deep  violet-blue,  so  deep  that  it  seems  black 
in  a  faint  light,  and  the  surface  is  finely  punctured  and 
shining.  The  edges  of  the  thorax  and  the  elytra  are  marked 
with  a  narrow  line  of  yellow,  from  which  circumstance  it  has 
been  named  albo-marginatus,  or  white-edged,  by  some  ento- 
mologists. If  the  insect  be  turned  up,  the  under  side  of  the 
abdomen  vnll  be  seen  to  be  extremely  convex. 

It  is  not  a  common  insect,  and  seems  to  be  local.  It  has 
been  taken  at  Portland  and  Pangbourne. 

Next  comes  the  insect  which  is  represented  on  Woodcut 
LXIV.  Fig.  1,  an  example  of  another  family,  the  Asopidse. 
Its  name  is  Asopus  luridits. 

Although  not  so  brilliant  as  the  insect  which  has  just  been 
described,  it  is  a  pretty  creature.  Its  colour  is  yellowish, 
thickly  punctured  with  black  and  rather  shining.  On  the  head 
and  sides  of  the  thorax  there  is  a  deep  blue  gloss,  which 
occasionally  changes  to  bronze.  Below,  it  is  yellowish,  with 
two  distinct  longitudinal  rows  of  black  spots.  The  female  has 
also  a  large  black  spot  on  the  sixth  segment  of  the  abdomen. 

This  species  is  not  very  common,  but  is  wider  spread  than 
the  preceding  insect,  and  may  be  found  on  trees. 

The  whole  group  of  insects  to  which  this  species  belongs  is 
popularly  known  under  the  name  of  Bishops,  or  sometimes 
Bishop's  Mitres,  on  account  of  their  form.  They  are  much 
and  justly  dreaded  by  fruit-growers,  and  this  for  two  reasons. 
In  the  first  place,  they  greatly  damage  the  fruit  as  soon  as  i-t 
ripens,  by  sucking  the  juice  ;  and  in  the  second  place,  many  of 


558 


INSECTS  AT  HOME. 


them  possess  a  most  abominable  odour,  which  communicates 
itself  to  any  fruit  over  which  a  Mitre  insect  has  walked.  The 
cherry  orchards  are  sadly  infested  by  these  insects,  but  no  way 
of  destroying  or  even  checking  them  has  yet  been  foimd. 

This  odour  is  due  to  a  fluid  which  passes  out  of  two  little 
pores  between  the  hind  feet,  and  the  insect  is  able  to  eject  or 
retain  it  at  will.     It  has  been  observed  that  if  a  Mitre  insect 


LKIV 


1.  As'ipns  luridns.  2.  Verlusia  rhombea.  3.  Coreus  hirticornis.  4.  Pyrrhocoris 

apterus.        a.  Do.,  fore-leg.        h.  Do.,  side  view  of  bead,  showing  antenna  and  tongue. 


be  suddenly  seized,  plunged  into  water,  and  held  there,  the  two 
pores  give  out  a  number  of  tiny  bubbles,  which  rise  rapidly  to 
the  surface,  burst,  and  tht  n  give  out  the  disagreeable  odour. 
Fruit  is  often  rendered  quite  uneatable  by  being  tainted  with 
this  evil-smelling  substance.  I  believe  that  the  insect  uses 
the  fluid  as  a  means  of  defence,  as  is  the  case  with  many  other 
insects  and  animals,  and  that  it  does  not  eject  any  of  it  upon  a 
fruit   except   when   alarmed.     There   are   some  few  of  these 


THE   COKEID.E.  559 

insects  in  which  the  scent  is  rataer  agreeable  than  otherwise 
but  as  a  general  rule  the  odour  is  simply  disgusting,  as  anyone 
knows  who  has  captured  and  set  many  specimens. 

On  Woodcut  LXIV.  are  seen  two  examples  of  the  family 
Coreidffi.  This  is  a  large  family,  and  contains  within  it  many 
of  the  largest  and  most  conspicuous  members  of  the  Heteroptera. 
They  are  known  by  the  form  of  the  antennae,  which  consist  of 
four  joints,  and  have  the  last  joint  either  thickened  or  elon- 
gated. The  beak  is  usually  long.  Fig.  2  represents  the  insect 
called  Veiiusia  rhombea. 

This  species  is  not  brilliantly  coloured,  the  general  hue 
being  a  dull  yellowish-brown.  The  upper  surface  is  covered 
with  exceedingly  minute  punctures.  The  head  is  darker  than 
the  rest  of  the  body,  and  the  sides  of  the  thorax  are  ochreous- 
yellow.  It  is  much  paler  below  than  above,  and  the  legs  are 
yellow.  It  is  common  on  the  leaves  of  trees  in  the  autumn. 
The  specific  name  of  Rhombea  is  given  to  this  insect  in 
consequence  of  the  singular  shape  of  the  abdomen,  which  is 
flattened  and  widened  into  a  rhomb-like  shape,  as  seen  in  the 
illustration. 

In  common  with  the  rest  of  its  family,  the  species  can  both 
run  and  fly  well,  choosing  the  hottest  part  of  the  day  for  their 
flight.  As  is  the  case  with  the  Water-boatmen,  they  make  a 
loud  humming  sound  with  their  wings,  sometimes  as  loud  and 
deejj  as  that  of  the  humble-bee. 

At  Fig.  3  on  the  same  Woodcut  is  shown  an  insect  belong-ing 
to  the  typical  genus  called  Coretis  hirticornis. 

The  colour  of  this  insect  is  dull  chocolate-brown  above,  and 
the  upper  surface  is  thickly  covered  with  minute  wrinkles, 
which  even  extend  over  the  legs  and  thighs.  Beneath,  it  is 
ochreous-yellow,  mottled  with  a  rather  darker  hue.  The  sides 
of  the  thorax  have  a  narrow  edge  of  white.  The  antennae  are 
remarkable  for  their  hairy  covering,  which  extends  throughout 
their  whole  length,  and  has  gained  for  the  insect  the  specific 
name  of  hirticornis,  or  hairy-horn.  The  insect  is  common  on 
thistles. 

The  larvae  and  pupae  of  insects  belonging  to  this  family 
are  like  the  perfect  insect  in  general  form.     The  larvae,  how- 


560  INSECTS  AT   HOME. 

ever,  possess  no  wings,  and  the  pupae  only  have  them  in  an 
undeveloped  state.  Mr.  Westwood  mentions  that  he  possesses 
some  larvse  and  pupse,  which  also  differ  from  the  perfect  insect 
in  being  without  ocelli,  and  having  only  two  joints  in  the 
tarsus. 

On  Plate  XVIII.  Fig.  5,  is  shown  another  example  of  this 
family.     This  insect  is  called  Stenooephalus  agilis. 

The  colour  of  the  insect  is  pale  brown,  with  a  tiny  red  spot 
on  each  shoulder.  The  legs  and  antennae  are  yellow,  except 
that  each  joint  has  a  black  tip.  The  generic  name  is  formed 
from  two  Greek  words,  signifying  'short-headed,'  and  its 
specific  name  of  agilis  is  given  to  it  because  it  is  remarkably 
active,  both  on  foot  and  on  the  wing,  and  is  fond  of  running 
about  in  the  hottest  sunshine. 

The  curious  insect  which  is  represented  on  Woodcut  LXIV. 
Fig.  4,  is  one  of  a  group  which  contains  many  brilliantly- 
coloured  insects. 

The  present  species  is  called  Pyrrhocoris  apterus,  and  it? 
colours  are  black  and  scarlet.  The  ground  colour  of  the 
insect  is  scarlet  and  shining.  On  the  top  of  the  convex  thorax 
is  a  broad  black  spot,  square,  with  slightly  rounded  angles,  and 
the  abdomen  is  black  also.  On  account  of  the  preponderance 
of  scarlet,  the  generic  name  of  Pyrrhocoris,  or  Scarlet  Bug,  has 
been  given  to  it. 

The  life  history  of  this  insect  is  a  remarkable  one.  Some- 
l^imes,  as  in  the  illustration,  it  has  fully-developed  wing-covers, 
but  generally  the  elytra  are  small  and  undeveloped,  without; 
possessing  the  usual  membranous  portion  at  the  tip,  whence 
the  name  of  apterus,  or  wingless.  Such  creatures  as  these 
are  termed  '  imperfect  perfect  insects.'  They  were  at  one  time 
thoiight  to  be  pupae,  but  it  is  now  ascertained  that  they  are 
really  perfect  with  the  exception  of  the  full  development  ot 
the  flying  apparatus.  In  some  of  the  Heteroptera,  such  as  the 
well-known  Water  Gnats,  the  imperfect  perfect  insects  are  as 
destitute  of  wings  as  they  were  when  in  the  larval  condition. 

This  is  not  a  common  species,  though  it  has  appeared  in  vas^ 
quantities  in  certain  localities.  Some  years  ago,  the  insect 
appeared  in  great  profusion  at  Torquay,  on  some  little  islands; 


INSECT   CANNIB.\LS.  561 

and  Mr.  Curtis  mentions,  in  his  work  on  British  insects,  that, 
off  Teignmouth,  a  rock  in  the  sea  was  quite  reddened  with 
them.  In  fact  they  were  as  numerous  as  the  ladybirds  are  in 
some  seasons.  They  seem  to  be  social  insects,  loving  to  collect 
together  in  groups  rather  than  disperse  tliemselves.  Mr. 
Westwood  states  that  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Berlin,  especially 
in  the  gardens  of  the  palace  of  Charlottenburg,  the  place 
swarmed  with  them,  and  that  they  were  employed  in  sucking 
various  fallen  berries  and  seeds  under  the  trees. 

They  also  exhibited  cannibalistic  tastes.  Owing  to  their 
great  numbers,  many  of  them  had  been  trodden  under  foot, 
and  these  unfortunates  were  eagerly  drained  of  their  juices  by 
their  surviving  comrades.  It  has  been  also  noticed  that, 
although  these  creatures  will  thus  feed  on  dead  insects,  they  do 
not  meddle  with  living  ones.  This  insect  does  not  emit  a 
disagreeable  odour,  fortunately  for  those  whom  it  visits  in  such 
numbers. 

It  has  been  noticed  that,  in  this  group  of  insects,  there  are 
some  that  are  brightly  coloured,  and  some  that  are  compara- 
tively dull  and  sombre.  Those  species  that  are  brilliantly 
decorated  are  mostly  found  on  plants  and  flowers,  as  if  anxious 
to  exhibit  their  beauties,  while  their  duller  companions,  as  if 
ashamed  of  themselves  and  anxious  not  to  bring  themselves 
in  contrast  with  their  gorgeously  clothed  relatives,  restrict 
themselves  to  the  roots  and  lower  parts  of  the  stems. 

The  Pyrrhocoris  belongs  to  a  group  termed  Csecigenina. 
This  name,  which  signifies  blindness,  is  given  to  the  insects 
because  they  possess  no  ocelli.  The  second  joint  of  the 
antennae  is  the  longest.  As  the  word  apterus  signifies  wing- 
less, some  entomologists  have  considered  that  it  is  not  appro- 
priate to  this  insect,  on  the  ground  that  many  specimens  have 
fully-developed  wings,  while  in  others  the  wings  are  partly 
developed,  and  in  none  absolutely  wanting.  They  have,  there- 
fore, suggested  the  specific  name  of  calmariensis,  by  which  it 
is  known  in  several  lists. 

According  to  Mr.  Curtis'  theory,  climate  has  some  influence 
in  the  development  of  the  wings,  a  hot  climate  forwarding  it 
and  a  cold  one  retarding  it.  He  stated  that  he  had  never 
found  specimens  in  this  country  with  the  wings  fully  developed, 
though  he  had  done  so  in  the  South  of  France.     As,  however, 

0   0 


562  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

a  perfectly-winged  specimen  was  taken  by  Linnreus  in  a  lati- 
tude more  northerly  than  that  of  England,  the  theory  cannot 
be  universally  true,  though  it  may  be  partially  so. 

On  Woodcut  LXV.  Fig.  1  is  a  curious-looking  insect  called 
Neides  depressus,  belonging  to  the  family  Berytidse. 

The  members  of  this  genus  are  remarkable  for  the  length 
and  slenderness  of  their  bodies  and  legs,  which  very  much 
resemble  those  of  the  water-gnats.  This  is  not  a  handsome 
species  in  point  of  colour,  yellowish-brown  being  the  chief  hue. 
The  antennge  are  rather  light-yellow,  and  the  edges  of  the 
front  part  of  the  thorax  whitish-grey.  The  abdomen  is  black 
above,  and  the  elytra  are  so  transparent  that  they  permit  the 
colour  of  the  abdomen  to  be  seen  through  them. 

It  is  a  local  insect,  living  on  plants  that  prefer  the  seaside. 
At  Deal  it  has  been  found  about  the  roots  and  stems  of  the 
hemlock  stork's-bill  {Erodium  cicutarium),  and  in  the  Isle  of 
Wight  it  has  been  captured  under  the  common  restharrow,  or 
cammock  (Ononis  arvensis).  Mr.  West  wood  states  that  he 
has  found  the  Neides  in  all  its  stages  under  the  last-named 
plant  in  a  spot  at  the  back  of  the  Isle  of  Wight.  The  insect 
was  very  slow  in  its  movements,  and  did  not  attempt  to  use 
its  wings.  As  both  larvae  and  pupse  were  found  in  the 
same  situations,  he  thinks  that  there  is  no  doubt  that  the 
Neides  derives  its  nourishment  from  the  plant  under  which  he 
found  it. 

The  chief  point  in  this  genus  is  the  extreme  length  of  the 
antennae,  which  are  as  long  as  the  abdomen  and  thorax 
together.  The  basal  joint  is  extremely  long,  and  when  the 
insect  is  alive  the  antennae  are  slightly  elbowed  at  this  joint. 

Next  in  order  comes  the  insect  which  is  shown  on  Wood- 
cut LXV.  Fig.  2.  Its  name  is  Rkyjparochromus  dilatatus, 
and  it  belongs  to  the  family  of  Khyparochromidae.  The  insects 
belonging  to  this  genus  are  known  by  the  two  ocelli  and  the 
flattened  and  widened  thighs  of  the  fore-legs.  In  the  present 
species  this  peculiarity  is  very  strongly  marked,  and  from  that 
circumstance  the  specific  name  of  dilatatus,  or  widened,  has 
been  given  to  the  insect.  The  same  joint  is  also  remarkable 
for  the  very  bold  toothing  of  its  inner  edge,  as  may  be  seen  by 


THE   HENESTARID^. 


563 


reference  to  Yig.  a  on  the  same  Woodcut.  At  Fig.  b,  a  side 
view  of  the  head  is  given,  showing  one  of  the  antenase,  with 
its  short  first  joint  and  long  fourth  joint,  and  the  curiously 
formed  hair-covered  beak. 

The  generic  name  Rhyparochromus  is  formed  from  two 
Greek  words,  and  signifies  dirt-coloured,  but  I  have  not  the 
least  idea  in  what  way  it  can  be  considered  appropriate.     The 


LXV 


1.  Neides  depressus.  2.   Rhypavochromns  dilatatus.         3.  Henestaris  laticeps. 

4.  Phy tocoris  tilia;.        a.  Rhyparochromus  dilatatus,  leg.        6.  Do.,  head,  autenna,  and  tongue. 

colour  of  this  species  is  as  follows  : — The  general  hue  is  glossy 
black,  thickly  clothed  above  and  beneath  with  fine  yellow 
down.  The  junctions  of  the  joints  of  the  antennse  and  tarsus 
are  yellowish.  It  is  not  a  rare  insect,  and  can  be  taken  under 
moss. 


Anotheii  family,  the  Henestaridse,  is  represented  by  Hene- 
staris laticeps,  which  is  shown  on  Woodcut  LXV.  Fig.  3. 


o  o  2 


564  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

This  is  rather  a  rare  insect,  but  has  been  found  in  the  Isle  of 
Wight  in  the  month  of  August. 

Its  general  colour  is  ochreous-yellow,  clouded  more  or  less 
with  brown,  and  sprinkled  with  very  fine  yellow  down.  The 
ocelli  are  red.  The  -.upper  part  of  the  thorax  is  deeply 
punctured  in  front,  and  just  behind  the  anterior  margin  are 
two  black  pits  or  depressions,  which  are  well  shown  in  the  illus- 
tration. The  thighs  are  thickly  covered  with  black  spots, 
which  in  many  places  coalesce  and  form  blotches  of  black. 
The  abdomen  is  black  above  and  brown  below,  with  a  dash  of 
ochreous-yellow.  The  specific  name,  laticeps  or  wide-headed, 
refers  to  the  remarkable  form  of  the  head,  which,  including 
the  eyes,  is  wider  than  the  widest  part  of  the  body.  This 
peculiarity  is  well  shown  in  the  illustration. 

On  the  same  Woodcut,  Fig.  4,  is  shown  a  much  more 
striking  insect,  called  Phytocoris  tilice,  as  an  example  of  the 
Phytocoridse. 

In  these  insects  the  antennce  are  very  long  and  slender,  the 
first  joint  being  as  long  as  the  head  and  thorax  together.  The 
hind  legs  are  also  very  long,  and  the  head  is  broader  than  it  is 
long.  The  name  Phytocoris  is  Greek,  and  literally  signifies 
Plant-bug. 

The  colour  of  this  insect  is  pale  green,  sometimes  being  so 
very  pale  as  to  appear  grey  with  a  slight  greenish  tinge,  and 
being  edged  with  a  line  of  a  darker  hue.  The  insect  is  thickly 
clothed  with  patches  of  grey  down,  the  grey  hue  being  produced 
by  the  mixture  of  black  and  white  hairs.  It  is  rather  a  variable 
species,  but  mostly  has  the  sides  of  the  thorax  black,  and  the 
tip  of  the  elytra  of  the  same  hue.  Sometimes  the  elytra  are 
rather  differently  coloured,  having  two  large  black  spots  in  tlie 
middle,  and  two  smaller  spots  on  the  tip.  The  leathery  part 
of  the  elytra  is  spotted  with  black.  The  second  joint  of  the 
antennae  and  the  tibise  are  banded  with  black,  and  the  re- 
maining joints  of  the  legs  are  pale  yellow  with  black  blotches. 

As  its  shape  imports,  this  is  an  active  insect,  and  can  both 
run  and  fly  with  agility.  It  is  fond  of  fruit,  and  especially 
frequents  raspberries,  the  juices  of  which  it  sucks  througli  its 
beak.  No  great  harm  would  be  done  by  this  small  robbery  if 
tlie  Phytocoris  wovdd  only  content  itself  with  abstract in_L';  juices. 
Unfortunately,  vrhile  it  sucks  the  liouids  of  the  raspberry,  it 


ODOUE   OF   THE   PLANT-BUG.  565 

deposits  some  of  its  own — that  highly  scented  fluid  which  has 
already  been  mentioned,  and,  in  consequence,  so  nauseous  a 
flavour  is  imparted  to  the  fruit  that  no  one  can  eat  it.  The 
very  odour  is  so  powerful  that  it  generally  suffices  as  a  warning 
to  intending  consumers.  But,  if  by  ill-chance  one  of  them 
should  be  taken  into  the  mouth,  the  flavour  and  odour  are  so 
utterly  detestable  that  no  one  who  has  ever  experienced  them 
will  allow  himself  to  be  again  deluded.  I  can  speak  rather 
feelingly  on  this  subject,  having  been  victimised  by  this  insect, 
and  having  therefore  learned  to  test  every  raspberry  before  I 
venture  to  eat  it. 

We  now  come  to  some  very  curious  beings.  On  Woodcut 
LXVI.  Figs.  1  and  2,  is  shown  a  remarkable  insect,  called 
Systellonotus  triguttatus. 

According  to  the  older  entomologists,  this  insect  was  placed 
in  the  same  family  with  that  species  which  has  just  been 
described.  The  modern  entomologists,  however,  have  broken 
up  the  old  family,  with  many  others,  and  have  placed  this 
insect  in  the  family  Idolocoridse.  The  insects  of  this  genus 
are  remarkable  for  the  shape  of  the  abdomen,  which  is  very 
much  narrowed  or  contracted  at  the  base,  where  it  joins  the 
thorax.  The  generic  name  Systellonotus  is  composed  of  two 
Greek  words  signifying  narrowed-baek,  and  is  therefore  a  very 
appropriate  one.  The  shape  of  the  abdomen  can  be  best  seen 
by  reference  to  Fig.  2,  which  represents  the  wingless  female. 

The  general  colour  of  the  male  is  reddish-brown,  and  over 
the  body  is  spread  a  thin  coating  of  yellowish  down,  which 
stands  particularly  upright.  On  each  of  tlie  elytra  are  three 
white  diagonal  bars,  one  of  a  silvery  character  and  the  others 
greyish-white.  It  is  from  these  three  bars  that  the  name  of 
triguttatus,  or  three-streaked,  has  been  given  to  the  species. 

The  word  guttatus  is  taken  from  the  Latin  gutta,  or  drop, 
and  is  applied  to  marks  that  are  made  as  if  by  a  drop  of 
colour  which  had  been  allowed  to  run  over  the  surface  and  then 
become  dry.  A  good  idea  of  the  true  shape  of  the  gutta  may 
be  obtained  by  taking  a  white  piece  of  paper,  letting  a  drop  of 
ink  fall  on  it,  and  then  holding  it  diagonally,  so  that  the  ink 
may  trickle  a  little  way  down  the  paper. 

The  female,  as  may  be  seen  by  reference  to  Fig.  2,  is  almost 


566 


INSECTS  AT  HOME. 


wholly  without  wings  or  wing-cases,  these  organs  being  merely 
indicated  by  some  very  small  rudimentary  appendages  to  the 
thorax.  In  colour  they  are  yellowish-brown,  and  have  none  of 
the  distinguishing  characteristics  of  the  Heteropteran  wing. 
The  insect  is  extremely  swift  of  foot,  and  bears  some  resem- 
blance to  the  wood-ant.  Both  sexes  are  rare,  but  the  female 
is  even  scarcer  than  the  male,  and  is  a  great  prize  to  any 
entomologist  who  finds  her. 

LXVI 


1.   Systellonotus  trignttatns,  male.  2.  Ditto,   female.  3.  Orthoceplialus  hirtus. 

a.  Do.,  head,  antenna,  and  rostrum,         J.  Do.,  tarsus.         e.  Do.  labrum.        d.  Do.,  elytron. 
e.  Do.,  wing. 

An  examplQ  of  the  restricted  family  Capsidge  is  given  on 
"Woodcut  LXVI.  Fig.  3.     This  is  called  Orthoceplialus  hirtus. 

Even  to  the  imaided  eye  this  is  a  remarkable  insect,  but  is 
shown  to  be  still  more  curious  when  examined  with  the  aid  of 
a  microscope.  The  general  colour  of  this  insect  is  black,  with 
a  slight  dash  of  yellow.  If  it  be  placed  under  the  microscope, 
it  will  be  seen  that  the  ground  hue  is  black,  covered  first  with 


THE  BED-BUG.  567 

golden-yellow  scales,  and  then  with  rather  long,  erect  black 
hairs  which  project  between  the  scales.  The  elytra  of  the  male 
are  blackish-brown.  In  the  male  the  upper  part  of  the  front 
part  of  the  thorax  or  pronotum  is  bent  down  towards  the 
head,  whereas  in  the  female  it  is  straight.  The  thighs  are 
long  and  black,  and  the  tibiae  reddish-yellow,  often  tipped  with 
black,  as  shown  in  the  illustration. 

At  Fig.  a  is  given  a  profile  view  of  the  head,  so  as  to  show 
the  very  long  second  joint  of  the  hair-clad  antenna),  and  the 
way  in  which  the  long,  four-jointed  beak  is  bent  under  the 
breast.  The  rather  peculiar  tarsus  is  shown  at  6,  and  the 
labrum  at  c.  The  word  Orthocephalus  is  formed  from  two 
Greek  words,  signifying  straight-headed,  and  the  Latin  specific 
name  hirtus,  or  hairy,  is  given  to  the  insect  in  allusion  to  the 
long  black  hair  with  which  its  body  is  covered.  The  shape  of 
the  elytron,  or  wdng-cover,  of  the  male  is  shown  at  Fig.  cZ,  and 
that  of  the  true  or  flying  wing  at  Fig.  e  of  the  same  illustration. 

The  family  of  the  Acanthiidae  is  represented  by  the  common 
Bed-Bug  {Acanthia  lectularla  or  Cimex  lectularius),  which 
is  represented  on  Woodcut  LXVII.  Fig.  1.  In  this  genus  the 
abdomen  is  nearly  circular,  and  both  sexes  are  almost  without 
wings,  their  position  being  only  indicated  by  a  pair  of  little 
scale-like  projections.  Some  entomologists  assert  that  specimens 
have  been  found  possessing  perfect  wings,  but  there  is  no 
satisfactory  proof  of  any  such  development  among  the  numbers 
that  are  annually  killed. 

"SVhen  and  how  this  singularly  unpleasant  insect  was  intro- 
duced into  this  country  is  not  known ;  but  there  is  no  doubt 
that  it  is  not  indigenous,  and  that  it  was  unknown  some  three 
hundred  years  ago.  It  is  true  that  there  are  several  allusions 
to  the  Bug  in  Shakespeare,  as  well  as  in  older  writers  ;  but  in 
every  case  the  word  does  not  allude  to  the  noxious  insect,  but 
is  taken  in  its  original  sense,  namely,  something  that  can 
terrify  or  annoy,  and  originally  signifies  some  terrible  spectre 
that  walks  by  night.  Thus  in  Ps.  xci.  5,  the  word  which  is 
now  rendered  as  '  terror '  by  night,  was  in  the  older  editions  of 
the  Bible  translated  as  Bugge,  the  allusion  being  evidently  to 
spectral  apparitions.  It  is  still  used  in  this  sense  in  the  word 
Bug-bear.     We  can  easily  see  how  an  insect,  newly  introduced 


568 


INSECTS  AT  HOME. 


into  England,  ar.d  spreading  with  a  rapidity  to  which  the  cus- 
toms of  our  ancestors  gave  every  assistance,  would  be  distin- 
guished by  a  name  which  signified  a  nightly  terror. 

Being  very  flat  and  short-legged,  and  always  walking  with 
the  legs  in  nearly  the  same  plane  as  the  body,  the  Bug  can 
creep  into  very  narrow  crevices,  and  hundreds  can  hide  them- 
selves where  there  seems  scarcely  to  be  room  for  half  a  dozen. 
In  the  chinks  of  old  furniture,  and  especially  behind  the 
wooden  panels  of  old  walls,  they  pack  themselves  so  closely 


LZVII 


1.  Acanthia  lectularia. 
lectularia,  fore-leg. 
d.  Do.,  rostrum. 


2.  Coranns  subapterus.        3.  Reduvius  personatus.       a.  Acanthia 
6.  Do.,  Antenna.  c.  Do.,  head,  showing  position  of  rostrum. 


and  in  such  numbers  that  they  form  thick  layers  of  living 
insects,  and  the  language  of  the  carpenter  in  '  Punch '  is  hardly 
exaggerated  when  he  said  that  if  he  were  to  take  away  a 
panel,  they  would  get  up  on  their  hind  legs,  and  bark  like  dogs. 
The  eggs  of  this  insect  are  very  small,  and  can  be  inserted 


LIFE-HISTORY  OF  THE  BED-BUG.  .      569 

by  the  parent  at  the  very  bottom  of  the  crevices  in  which  she 
has  made  her  home.  There  are  four  broods  in  the  year,  and 
each  female  lays,  on  an  average,  fifty  eggs  each  time.  When 
newly  laid,  the  eggs  are  covered  with  a  sort  of  varnish,  which 
rapidly  hardens  when  exposed  to  the  air,  and  forms  a  cement 
by  which  the  eggs  are  securely  fixed  to  the  object  on  which 
they  are  laid. 

In  some  three  weeks  from  the  time  that  they  are  laid,  the 
young  Bugs  are  hatched.  They  are  then  so  small  as  almost  to 
be  invisible,  and,  in  fact,,  unless  they  have  tasted  blood,  can 
hardly  be  seen  except  with  a  magnifying-glass.  When,  how- 
ever, they  have  succeeded  in  attacking  some  human  being,  the 
extreme  transparency  of  their  skins  causes  the  sucked  blood  to 
be  seen  through  their  tissues,  and  they  look  like  tiny  moving 
specks  of  scarlet.  They  attain  their  full  growth  in  about  three 
months. 

As  is  the  case  with  other  blood-sucking  insects,  the  Bug  is 
rather  capricious  iu  its  attacks.  There  are  many  persons  whom 
it  never  touches,  or  at  least,  as  I  rather  fancy,  to  whom  it 
causes  no  annoyance  if  it  does  attack  them ;  while  there  are 
others — myself  among  the  number — who  seem  to  be  the  centre 
of  attack  of  every  blood-sucking  insect  in  the  neighbourhood, 
and  who  suffer  little  less  than  torture  from  their  venomous 
beaks.  In  attaining  its  prey,  the  Bug  often  displays  much  in- 
genuity. If  it  cannot  otherwise  get  at  a  person  who  is  lying 
on  a  bed,  it  will  ascend  the  wall,  crawl  along  the  ceiling,  and 
then  fall  on  the  bed,  to  the  great  discomfiture  of  its  inmate. 

I  have  remarked  that  in  most  cases  those  who  are  most 
obnoxious  to  the  attacks  of  the  Bug  are  most  sensitive  to  its 
odour,  and  vice  versa.  There  were  some  rooms  in  Paris  in 
which.these  abominable  insects  swarmed.  They  even  came  out 
in  the  daytime,  and  I  have  seen  the  little  scarlet  young- 
perambulating  the  walls  in  the  early  morning.  My  olfactory 
nerves,  however,  were  amply  sufficient,  without  the  sense  of 
sight,  to  betray  the  presence  of  the  insects,  and  yet  the  inmates 
of  the  room  were  absolutely  insensible  both  in  nostrils  and  skin 
to  the  presence  of  these  abominable  insects. 

A  still  stronger  case  occurs  to  my  memory.  Some  years  ago 
at  Oxford,  I  was  visiting  a  working  shoe-maker.  The  room 
was  clean,  and  the  walls  neatly,  though  rather  quaintly,  deco- 


570        .  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

rated  with  ijed  wafers,  like  the  spots  on  a  toy-house.  The 
odour  of  the  room  was,  however,  almost  asphyxiating,  and  the 
air  was  so  foul  that  some  pure  water  which  I  had  brought  with 
me  was  covered  with  scum  in  a  few  minutes.  On  examining 
the  walls  a  little  more  closely,  I  found  that  the  imagined  red 
wafers  were  nothing  but  Bugs,  each  of  which  had  been  smashed 
by  a  blow  from  the  broad-headed  shoemaker's  hammer.  Not 
one  of  the  family,  however,  was  in  the  least  aware  that  the 
atmosphere  within  the  room  was  more  offensive  than  that 
without  it,  and  none  of  them  suffered  any  discomfort  from  the 
insects  with  .which  their  ho'use  swarmed. 

It  is  probable  that  the  Bug  does  not  absolutely  require  human 
blood,  which  is  but  a  luxury  to  it.  In  its  original  condition  it 
is  said  to  live  upon  the  juices  of  various  trees,  and  to  be  able  to 
procure  nourishment  from  them  even  when  the  timber  has 
been  dried  and  made  into  furniture.  Many  entomologists 
believe  that  the  first  Bugs  which  were  introduced  into  this 
country  came  over  with  the  large  cargoes  of  American  timber 
that  were  used  in  rebuilding  those  parts  of  London  which  had 
been  destroyed  by  the  great  fire  of  1666.  Some  timbers,  how- 
ever, such  as  walnut,  mahogany,  oak,  or  cedar,  are  said  not  to 
afford  them  any  nourishment. 

The  question  of  extirpating  these  insects  is  really  an  im- 
portant one.  Cleanliness  and  the  increasing  use  of  metal  bed- 
steads have  done  much  in  lessening  their  numbers,  but,  despite 
all  precautions,  no  house  and  no  room  is  really  safe  from  them. 
A  single  female  may  be  brought  to  the  house  in  the  laundress' 
basket,  find  her  way  to  some  crevice,  lay  her  eggs,  and  so 
found  a  large  colony  before  their  presence  is  fairly  discovered. 
Various  means  of  ridding  the  place  of  them  have  been  tried, 
such  as  taking  the  furniture  to  pieces  and  painting  all  the 
joints  with  turpentine.  Such  means  are  effectual  enough  as 
far  as  the  turpentine  can  reach,  but  no  farther ;  and  when  the 
insects  have  taken  up  their  residence  in  chinks  of  the  wall, 
they  cannot  be  subjected  to  turpentine  or  any  other  liquid. 

It  is  evident  that,  in  such  a  case,  the  insects  can  only  be 
touched  by  vapour,  and  the  question  arises  what  vapour  to 
employ.  That  of  sulphur  has  been  used  with  success,  as  has 
that  of  one  or  two  other  suffocating  substances.  But  in  any  of 
these  cases,  the  vapour  must  be  so  thick  that  no  human  being 


EXTIRPATION  OF  THE  BED-BUG.  571 

can  breathe  it  and  live,  so  that  there  is  an  element  of  danger, 
and  the  after  effects  of  sulphur  vapour  are  anything  but  agree- 
able. I  once  had  a  room  which  was  suddenly  and  grievously 
afflicted  with  these  insects,  and  managed  to  clear  it  entirely 
from  them  without  doing  any  damage  to  the  house  or  furniture, 
or  running  the  least  risk  of  injuring  any  human  being.  There 
is  a  very  valuable  insect-powder,  sold  by  I\lr.  H.  Easter,  of 
Cloudesley  Square,  Islington,  which  has  the  property  of  killing 
all  insects,  while  it  is  quite  harmless  with  regard  to  vertebrate 
animals,  so  that  it  can  be  sprinkled  over  birds,  cats,  dogs,  and 
other  animals  without  the  least  danger.  My  pet  cat  was  once 
greatly  tormented  with  parasites.  I  put  a  large  teaspoonful  of 
the  powder  into  a  bag,  introduced  pussy  into  it,  much  against 
his  will,  tied  up  the  mouth,  and  left  the  bag  on  the  floor.  Of 
course,  the  cat  tumbled  about  inside  the  bag,  and  rolled  about 
the  floor  so  as  to  introduce  the  powder  thoroughly  into  the  fur. 
In  about  twenty  minutes  I  let  out  the  cat,  and  found  that 
every  flea  that  had  tormented  him  lay  either  dead  or  dying  in 
the  bag. 

Finding  this  process  so  effectual  I  bethought  me  of  trying 
the  vapour  upon  aphides,  moth-eaten  fur,  &c.  &c.,  and,  as  the 
vapour  was  quite  as  destructive  as  the  powder  itself,  I  deter- 
mined on  trying  it  on  a  large  scale.  So  I  made  a  number  of 
brown-paper  cylinders,  just  like  squib-cases,  and  filled  them 
with  the  insect-powder,  taking  care  to  ram  it  down  hard.  I  then 
pasted  paper  over  every  crevice  that  could  let  the  smoke  out  of 
the  room,  or  the  air  into  it,  lighted  the  squibs  at  the  open  end, 
blowing  them  into  a  bright  red  glow,  disposed  them  about  the 
room,  and  then  closed  the  door,  pasting  paper  from  the  outside 
across  the  junction  of  the  door  with  the  doorway. 

After  an  hour  or  so,  I  took  from  the  keyhole  the  cotton-wool 
which  I  had  placed  in  it,  looked  into  the  room,  and  found  that 
it  was  thick  with  smoke-wreaths.  The  smoke  began  to  settle 
down  in  some  three  or  four  hours,  and  when  it  had  nearly  sub- 
sided, I  entered  the  room  and  opened  the  window.  The  sight 
was  an  astonishing  one.  In  every  direction  lay  dead  or  dying- 
Bugs,  from  the  full-grown  veteran  to  the  tiniest  larva.  In 
some  places  where  the  smoke  had  not  been  very  thick,  the  in- 
sects were  still  on  their  feet,  but  so  stupified  that  they  could 
only  just  put  one  leg  before  another.     I  am  almost  afraid  to 


572  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

say  how  many  were  captured,  but  it  is  suflficient  to  mention 
that  they  were  counted,  not  by  individuals,  but  by  measure. 

About  a  month  afterwards,  the  process  was  repeated,  for  the 
purpose  of  killing  those  which  had  escaped  on  the  first  occasion, 
and  the  young  larvae  which  might  have  been  hatched  since  the 
fumigation.  Scarcely  any  survivors  were  discovered,  and  ever 
afterwards  the  room  was  quite  free  from  them.  It  appeared 
that  they  had  been  introduced  in  a  bedstead  which  had  been 
warranted  free  from  all  insects. 

It  is  said  that  spiders  are  great  enemies  to  Bugs,  and  that 
they  will  destroy  numbers  of  them  if  allowed  to  remain  in  the 
infested  rooms. 

Some  years  ago,  I  was  very  much  perplexed,  not  to  say 
annoyed,  by  the  occasional  presence  of  these  insects  in  my 
dining-room,  as  well  as  in  a  bed-room  immediately  above  it. 
I  found  at  last  that  they  came  from  some  nests  of  the  common 
house  martin  that  were  fixed  just  above  the  window.  I  got  a 
long  ladder  foy  the  purpose  of  examining  the  nests,  and  found 
their  clay  walls  absolutely  swarming  with  these  insects.  I  tried 
a  few  experiments  on  a  small  lump  of  clay  which  was  tenanted 
by  them,  and  found  that  although  they  disliked  the  odour  of 
turpentine,  and  crawled  out  of  their  refuge  when  placed  in  a 
tin  box  together  with  a  piece  of  cotton-wool  soaked  in  spirits  of 
turpentine,  they  were  not  killed  by  it  after  an  imprisonment  of 
thirty-six  hours,  and  rapidly  recovered  themselves  when  re- 
stored to  the  fresh  air. 

I  was  extremely  sorry  to  disturb  the  martins,  for  I  used  much 
to  enjoy  watching  the  pretty  birds  so  close  to  my  window. 
But  their  parasites  were  so  annoying  that  there  was  no  alterna- 
tive but  to  remove  the  nests  and  brush  oil  over  the  wall,  so 
that  the  clay  would  not  adhere  when  the  birds  tried  to  erect  new 
nests  in  the  same  spot.  Some  entomologists  think  that  these 
insects  are  not  the  same  species  as  the  Acanthia  lectularia. 
Whether  this  be  the  case  or  not,  they  have  the  same  unpleasant 
habit  of  attacking  human  beings  and  the  same  abominable 
odour,  and  must  be  extirpated  ruthlessly.  They  will  travel  for 
considerable  distances  from  the  nests  in  which  they  are  hatched. 
I  have  seen  four  or  five  of  them  creeping  along  a  wall  and 
making  their  way  to  a  window  which  was  not  only  much  below 
the  nestj  but  quite  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  house. 


THE  FLY-BUG.  573 

A  few  of  the  details  of  this  insect's  structure  are  given  on 
Woodcut  liXVII.  At  Fig.  a  is  shown  one  of  its  fore-legs,  at 
Fig.  b  the  antenna,  with  its  slender  terminal  joint.  Fig  cZ  is 
a  greatly  magnified  representation  of  the  beak,  and  Fig.  o 
shows  a  profile  view  of  the  head  together  with  the  beak. 

It  has  already  been  mentioned  that  the  spider  will  destroy 
the  Bed-Bug.  There  is  one  of  its  own  relations,  however,  which 
performs  this  operation  much  more  effectually.  It  is  popularly 
called  the  Fly-Bug,  and  its  scientific  name  is  Reduvius  per- 
sonatus.  A  rather  enlarged  portrait  of  this  curious  insect  is 
given  on  Woodcut  LXVII.  Fig.  3.  This  insect  is  an  example 
of  the  Reduviidre. 

The  colour  of  the  Fly-Bug  is  brown,  sometimes  blackish, 
and  sometimes  with  a  yellowish  tint.  The  tibise  are  yellow  at 
their  bases,  and  the  abdomen  has  a  shining  surface,  black  below, 
but  with  a  yellow  patch  in  the  middle  above. 

The  insect  is  sometimes  found  within  houses,  but  is  generally 
taken  on  account  of  its  habit  of  flying  towards  light,  and  so 
entering  at  night  windows  of  lighted  rooms.  Mr.  E.  A.  Smith 
tells  me  that  at  Deal  he  found  several  Fly-Bugs  lying  dead 
irader  a  window-sill.  Both  in  its  perfect  and  preliminary 
stages,  the  Fly-Bug  feeds  on  other  insects,  and  has  such  a 
liking  for  the  Bed-Bug  that  a  room  has  been  cleared  of  these 
obnoxious  insects  by  the  introduction  of  a  few  Fly-Bugs. 

In  its  larval  and  pupal  states,  this  insect  has  a  habit  of  en- 
veloping itself  in  a  thick  coating  of  dust  and  other  refuse,  and 
is  so  addicted  to  this  practice  that,  after  it  has  shed  its  skin 
and  come  out  all  bright  and  clean,  it  has  been  seen  deliberately 
to  take  the  dust  coating  from  its  shed  skin  and  place  it  on  its 
new  coat.  The  specific  name  of  personatus,  or  disguised,  has 
been  given  to  the  insect  in  consequence  of  this  habit.  The 
Eeduvius  is  a  much  more  formidable  enemy  to  the  Bed-Bug 
than  the  spider,  for  the  latter  has  to  wait  for  the  chance  of  its 
prey  coming  to  its  net,  whereas  the  former  is  a  hunter  and 
seeks  prey  for  itself.  An  entomologist  in  my  neighbourhood, 
who  kept  a  larva  of  the  Reduvius,  found  that  it  would  eat 
three  or  four  Bugs  daily,  so  that  a  few  of  these  insects,  if  at 
liberty,  must  cause  great  havoc  among  our  '  Norfolk  Howards.' 

Apart  from  the  service  which  it  renders,  this  Reduvius  is  not 


574  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

a  very  pleasant  insect.  Its  odom-  is  scarcely  less  disgusting 
than  that  of  its  wingless  relative,  and,  if  captured,  it  has  a  very 
unpleasant  way  of  driving  its  beak  into  the  fingers  of  its  captor. 
Under  such  conditions,  it  also  emits  a  rather  sharp  creaking 
sound,  which  is  said  to  be  produced  by  the  friction  of  the  elytra. 

Anothek  example  of  the  Reduviidse  is  given  on  Woodcut 
LXVII.  Fig.  2.     It  is  called  Coranus  subapterus. 

In  all  the  Eeduviidae  the  beak  is  comparatively  short,  thick, 
and  more  or  less  curved.  The  head  is  so  narrowed  behind  as 
to  form  a  neck.  There  are  two  ocelli,  the  eyes  are  very  pro- 
minent, and  the  terminal  joints  of  the  antennae  are  slender. 
The  legs  are  long  and  active.  Many  of  these  insects  have  the 
wings  only  slightly  developed,  so  that  they  come  under  the 
category  of  '  imperfect  perfedt  insects.'  Such  is  the  case  with 
the  present  species,  which  has  derived  its  name  of  subapterus 
(a  most  barbarous  compound,  by  the  way)  from  the  structure 
of  the  wings,  which  only  reach  as  far  as  the  third  segment 
of  the  abdomen. 

I  really  do  not  like  to  translate  such  a  word  as  subapterus, 
which  is  a  repulsive  hybrid  between  Latin  and  Greek,  and — 
with  all  respect  to  the  eminent  entomologist  who  first  manu- 
factured it — ought  not  to  be  accepted  in  its  present  form. 
What,  for  example,  should  we  think  of  such  words  as  eight- 
agon,  twelvehedron,  dreiangle,  petitscope,  telesseer,  insectology, 
etoilonomy,  erdology,  and  so  forth  ?  Yet  there  is  not  one  of 
these  words  which  is  one  whit  more  ridiculous  than  subapterus. 
Should  we  be  allowed  to  talk,  much  less  write,  of  a  hemiglobe, 
an  eggpositor,  a  chaudmeter,  a  baromeasurer,  a  virful  deed,  or  a 
megananimous  sentiment  ?  But,  if  we  are  to  retain  the  one  word, 
there  can  be  no  reason  why  we  should  not  employ  the  others. 

However,  the  name  being  given  and  accepted,  let  us  see 
what  it  means.  The  preposition  '  sub,'  when  prefixed  to  adjec- 
tives, gives  them  a  partial  sense.  Thus,  subiratus  means 
rather  angry ;  subdoctus,  moderately  learned ;  subcandidus, 
whitish ;  and  so  forth.  But,  in  all  these  cases,  both  parts  of 
the  word  belong  to  the  same  language.  Had  the  offending 
entomologist  used  the  word  subalatus,  or  partly  winged,  no 
one  could  have  objected  to  it,  as  both  words  are  Latin.  Apart 
from  other  reasons,  it  is  a  prettier-looking  word  than  subapterus 


THE  WATER  GNATS.  575 

and  much  easier  to  say.  But  when  he  employs  the  word  sub, 
which  is  Latin,  as  a  prefix  to  the  Greek  pteron,  I  do  not  see 
that  we  should  be  called  upon  to  excoriate  our  own  ears  and 
those  of  future  generations  with  such  an  atrocious  compound. 

I  believe  that  brown  sugar  and  oysters  are  considered  incom- 
patible, as  is  salt  with  strawberry  cream.  There  is,  perhaps, 
not  one  in  ten  thousand  who  would  not  feel  direfully  aggrieved 
by  having  any  such  mixtures  forced  on  him  as  part  of  his 
daily  diet.  And  there  is  really  no  more  reason  for  offending 
our  eyes,  ears,  and  mental  taste  by  subapterus,  than  our  mere  <<(j 

palates  by  the  above-mentioned  mixtures. 

The  general  colour  of  this  insect  is  dusky  black,  relieved  by  a 
clothing  of  short,  yellow  hairs.  Beneath  it  is  yellowish -brown. 
The  ocelli  are  red  and  the  antennae  pale  brown.  The  mem- 
branous portion  of  the  short  wing  is  rather  contracted,  and  the 
nervures  are  black.  It  is  found  in  dry,  sandy  places,  hiding 
under  heath,  furze,  and  other  plants.  When  handled,  it  gives 
out  an  odour  which,  unlike  those  of  most  of  its  kind,  is  of  a 
pleasant  nature,  and  bears  some  resemblance  to  that  of  a  ripe 
pear.  Although  in  most  cases  the  wings  of  this  insect  are  in 
the  imperfect  state  which  has  just  been  described,  they  are 
sometimes,  but  very  rarely,  fully  developed. 

We  now  come  to  that  group  of  Heteroptera  which  has 
been  mentioned  as  passing  most  of  their  time  on,  thovigh  not 
in,  the  water.  They  are  scientifically  called  Hydrometridse,  or 
Water-measurers,  because  they  seem  to  measure  the  sui*face  of 
the  water  with  their  long  and  slender  legs  ;  and  they  are 
popularly  known  by  the  name  of  Water-gnats,  because  the 
smaller  specimens  have  some  resemblance  to  gnats  without 
their  wings.  Two  specimens  of  this  group  are  given  on 
Woodcut  LXVIII.,  in  order  to  show  the  aspect  of  the  insect 
in  different  attitudes. 

In  all  these  insects  the  body  is  long,  narrow,  and  is  mostly 
covered  on  the  under-surface  with  a  fine  coating  of  velvet-like 
hairs,  which  are  capable  of  resisting  the  action  of  the  water. 
The  beak  is  rather  long,  curved  under  the  breast,  and  the  last 
joint  but  one  is  considerably  longer  than  the  others.  Some  of 
them  run  over  the  surface  of  the  water  with  great  speed,  their 
middle  pair  of  legs  acting  as  propellers,  their  hind  legs  as 


576 


INSECTS  AT  HOME. 


rudders  whereby  they  direct  their  course,  and  their  fore-legs 
stretched  out  in  front  for  the  purpose  of  seizing  their  prey. 
When  the  insect  is  at  rest,  these  legs  are  folded  under  the 
body  in  the  attitude  which  they  assume  when  the  prey  is  held 
against  the  breast,  so  that  the  long,  curved,  sharply-pointed 
beak  may  be  driven  into  it.  One  of  these  prehensile  legs  is 
shown  at  Fig.  a,  and  a  profile  view  of  the  head,  so  as  to  show 
the  form  of  the  beak,  with  its  long  penultimate  joint,  is  given 
at  Fig.  6. 

LXVIIC 


1.  Hydrometra  gibbifera. 
4.  Halticocoris  luteicoUis. 
anteiini  and  tougue. 


2.  Hydrometra  argentata. 
a.  Hydrometra  argentata,  fore-leg. 


3.  Corixa  Geoffroyi. 
b.  Do.,  head,   with 


These  insects  afford  many  examples  of  the  imperfect-perfect 
state,  which  has  been  the  trouble  of  most  entomologists  until 
its  true  nature  was  cleared  up.  In  this  condition,  the  Hydro- 
metridse  so  exactly  resemble  pupae,  that  when  they  were  seen 
exercising  all  the  functions  of  the  ^perfect  insect,  the  observers 
were  naturally  perplexed. 


THE  WATEK-GNATS.  577 

Those  specimens  in  which  the  wings  are  fully  developed  can 
use  them  well.  I  have  noticed  that,  when  alighting  in  the 
water  after  flight,  they  always  use  their  legs  for  the  purpose  of 
tucking  the  wings  under  the  elytra,  just  as  the  earwig  uses  its  for- 
ceps and  the  rove-beetle  the  end  of  its  flexible  tail.  With  these 
legs  they  wash  themselves  frequently,  appearing  to  be  singularly 
fastidious  respecting  cleanliness.  I  have  often  seen  these  in- 
sects standing  on  the  three  legs  of  one  side,  while  employing 
those  of  the  other  side  in  brushing  the  body,  every  portion 
of  which  was  carefully  passed  under  the  feet.  The  attitude  is 
most  singular,  and  I  have  never  seen  it  adopted  by  any  other 
insect. 

They  are  all  predacious,  seizing  their  prey  with  their  fore-legs. 
I  have  seen  one  of  these  creatures,  having  caught  an  insect, 
hold  it  out  in  front  of  its  body  with  its  fore-feet,  while  making 
its  way  to  some  place  where  it  could  in  safety  suck  the  life- 
juices  of  its  prey.  Predacious  as  they  are,  they  also  fall  victims 
to  larger  inhabitants  of  the  water — the  well-known  Water- 
boatman  making  great  havoc  among  them,  and  taking  on  the 
average  five  or  six  minutes  in  sucking  dry  the  body  of  its  prey. 

The  name  of  the  species  shown  at  Fig.  1  is  Hydrometra 
gibbifera.  Its  colour  is  blackish-brown  above,  and  beneath  it 
is  black,  with  a  silvery  or  brassy  lustre  when  seen  in  a  side- 
light. The  specific  name  of  gibbifera,  or  bunch -bearing,  is 
given  to  it  on  account  of  a  rounded  tubercle  or  bunch  upon 
the  anterior  angles  of  the  thorax.  The  male  has  also  a  large 
orange-coloured  tubercle  on  the  back  of  the  thorax,  near  its 
junction  with  the  abdomen.  ■  There  is  a  short,  thick,  yellow 
line  drawn  longitudinally  on  the  middle  of  the  front  part  of 
the  thorax.  The  elytra  are  blackish-brown,  with  a  slight  blue 
gloss  in  certain  lights,  and  the  nervures  are  clothed  with 
golden  hairs  and  scales.  The  middle  pair  of  legs  is  the 
longest.  This  species  is  very  common  on  the  surface  of  water, 
whether  it  be  stagnant  or  running. 

On  Woodcut  XLVIII.  Fig.  2,  is  shown  another  species, 
Hydrometra  argentata. 

This  insect  is  remarkable  as  being  the  smallest  of  the  family. 
Its  colour  is  blackish -brown  above,  with  a  decided  silvery  gloss 
below.     The  antennae  are  black.     The  colour  of  the  elytra  is 

p  P 


578  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

brown  in  some  lights  and  bluish-grey  in  others.  The  abdomen 
of  the  male  has  the  last  two  segments  marked  with  a  narrow 
yellow  line,  and  that  of  the  female  has  the  last  four  segments 
similarly  marked.     It  is  much  rarer  than  the  preceding  insect. 

The  last  of  the  Aurocorisa  which  will  be  mentioned  in  this 
work  is  the  insect  which  is  represented  on  Woodcut  LXVIII. 
Fig.  4.  Its  name  is  Halticocoris  luteicollis,  and  it  belongs  to 
the  family  of  Halticocoridse,  or  Jumping-Bugs,  because  they 
have  the  capability  of  leaping,  very  much  like  the  Halticse,  or 
Turnip-fleas,  which  have  already  been  described  on  page  211. 
The  structure  of  the  hind  legs,  with  their  greatly  developed 
thighs,  is  sufficient  to  show  that  the  insect  is  gifted  with  the 
power  of  leaping. 

The  general  colour  of  this  insect  is  shining  black,  over 
which  are  spread  a  number  of  fine  yellow  hairs,  very  short, 
and  bent  downwards.  In  this  species  the  elytra  are  fully 
developed,  but  in  the  only  other  British  species  of  this  genus, 
Halticocoris  pallidicornis,  they  are  undeveloped.  The  head 
and  antennae  are  ochreous  yellow,  and  so  are  the  legs  except 
the  thighs  of  the  second  and  third  pairs,  which  are  black. 
The  upper  part  of  the  thorax  is  very  finely  wrinkled  in  front, 
and  has  a  very  fine  and  delicate  furrow  running  along  its 
centre. 

The  insect  is  not  a  scarce  one,  but  requires  to  be  looked 
after,  as  it  takes  up  its  residence  in  clover  fields,  and  upon 
several  species  of  Bed-straw  (Galium).  The  sweep-net  will 
generally  bring  it  within  the  reach  of  the  entomologist. 

On  Plate  XVIII.  Fig.  4,  is  shown  a  figure  of  an  insect  called 
Pentatoma  dissimile.  The  insects  of  this  genus  have  the 
scutellum  very  large,  the  tarsi  ^^ith  three  joints,  and  the  eyes 
rather  prominent.  In  some  of  the  family  to  which  this  insect 
belongs,  the  scutellum  is  of  enormous  size,  from  which  the 
family  has  derived  the  name  of  Scutellaridae.  The  generic 
name  Pentatoma  signifies  'five-pieces'  or  joints,  and  is  given 
to  the  insects  because  their  antennae  have  five  joints.  Like 
others  of  the  same  order,  they  exhale  a  very  unpleasant  odour, 
and  sometimes  render  uneatable  any  fruit  over  which  they 
crawl.    They  are  mostly  vegetable  feeders,  but  sometimes  take 


STRUCTURE   OF   THE  PROBOSCIS.  579 

to  animal  food,  a  number  of  them  having  been  observed 
gathered  round  the  body  of  a  caterpillar,  with  their  beaks 
sunk  deeply  into  it.  The  well-known  naturalist,  De  Greer, 
states  that  some  species  of  this  family  watch  over  their  eggs 
until  they  are  hatched,  and  then  take  care  of  their  young,  just 
as  is  said  of  the  earwig.  He  remarked  that  the  mother 
reminded  him  of  the  hen  and  her  chickens,  leading  them  from 
spot  to  spot,  and  evidently  keeping  guard  over  them  until 
they  were  strong  enough  to  shift  for  themselves. 

The  same  naturalist  further  observed  that  these  insects  can 
disengage  the  piercing  portion  of  the  proboscis  from  the  sheath, 
and  replace  it  at  will.  His  description  is  as  follows.  I  have 
not  his  work  by  me,  but  follow  the  translation  given  in 
Griffith's  edition  of  Cuvier's  '  Animal  Kingdom.'         i 

'  It  has  happened  to  me,'  says  De  Greer,  '  to  observe  on  one 
of  these  young  bugs,  placed  under  the  microscope,  that  its 
proboscis  was  entirely  disengaged  out  of  the  furrow  of  the 
sheath.  It  hung  then  at  the  end  of  the  tongue,  like  a  very 
long  thread.  I  saw,  again,  that  at  the  end  of  the  thread  the 
three  pieces  of  which  it  was  composed  were  separated  one  from 
the  other.  The  following  day  I  observed  on  the  same  bug 
that  everything  was  restored  to  its  proper  place — that  the 
proboscis  was  placed,  as  before,  in  the  furrow  of  the  sheath. 
It  appears,  then,  that  the  bug  can  withdraw  its  proboscis  out 
of  its  sheath  and  put  it  back  when  it  thinks  proper.  It  drew 
the  proboscis  out  of  its  sheath  once  again ;  I  then  saw  how  the 
intermediate  part  of  the  proboscis  and  of  the  point  played — 
how  the  bug  elongated  and  shortened  it  alternately.  I  saw 
some  drops  of  fluid  come  out  of  and  re-enter  the  proboscis. 
The  two  semi-sheaths  which  accompanied  it  played  also 
alternately  in  front  and  rear. 

'  I  was  attentive  to  observe  how  the  bug  caused  its  proboscis 
to  re-enter  into  the  furrow  of  the  sheath,  and  at  last  I  achieved 
this,  after  having  observed  it  without  interruption  for  more 
than  a  quarter  of  an  hour.  It  first  of  all  puts  its  proboscis  in 
a  parallel  line  with  the  sheath,  or  at  least  it  holds  it  extended 
the  entire  length  of  the  sheath  ;  afterwards  it  gives  an  inflexion 
to  the  sheath,  about  the  middle  of  its  extent.  It  folds  it  like 
a  knee.     It  then  applies  this  knee  against  the  middle  of  its 

p  p  2 


580  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

proboscis,  or  against  that  part  of  the  proboscis  which  is  oppo- 
site to  the  knee.  The  anterior  feet  then  come  to  its  assistance. 
The  bug  presses  its  proboscis  -with  its  feet  against  the  sheath, 
so  that  this  portion  of  its  proboscis  is  then  stopped  in  the 
groove  or  furrow.  Finally,  it  presses  the  rest  of  its  proboscis 
against  the  sheath  with  the  same  feet,  and  thus  causes  it  to 
slide  into  the  groove.  As  soon  as  the  proboscis  has  once  re- 
entered, it  stays  there.' 


CHAPTER  11. 

EYDEOCOBISA,    OB   WATER-BUQS. 

We  now  come  to  the  second  group  of  Heteroptera — the  Hydro- 
corisa,  or  Water-Bugs.  There  are  many  species,  differing 
greatly  in  external  appearance  ;  but  they  all  have  very  short 
antennae  concealed  in  cavities  beneath  the  eyes,  and  their  fore- 
legs are  rather  short,  and  can  be  folded  close  to  the  body,  so  as 
to  look  like  claws.  With  these  limbs  the  insects  seize  their 
prey,  which  consists  of  various  inhabitants  of  the  water  that  do 
not  appear  to  be  so  strong  as  themselves. 

The  first  family  is  that  of  the  Notonectidae,  which  embraces 
the  various  insects  known  by  the  popular  name  of  Water- 
boatmen.  The  scientific  name  sigTiifies  Back-swimmer,  and 
both  titles  are  equally  appropriate.  The  Notonectidae  have  a 
habit  of  lying  on  their  backs  in  the  water,  and  their  body 
then  assumes  a  shape  very  much  like  that  of  a  boat.  The  two 
hind  legs  are  exceedingly  long,  and  as  they  are  stretched  out 
at  right  angles  with  the  body,  look  exactly  like  oars,  and  in- 
deed are  used  as  if  they  were  oars.  The  ends  of  these  legs  are 
furnished  with  hairy  fringes,  which  act  like  the  blade  of  the  oar, 
and  enable  the  insect  to  drive  itself  along  with  very  great  speed. 

All  who  have  handled  an  oar  know  of  the  difiiculties  which 
beset  them  in  the  proper  mode  of  feathering,  i.e.  turning  the 
oar  as  it  is  brought  out  of  the  water,  so  that  the  edge  of  the 
blade  is  turned  to  the  air  as  the  oar  is  swept  backwards  for  the 
next  stroke.  In  the  oar-like  legs  of  the  Water-boatman  we 
find  a  provision  for  a  similar  feathering,  the  bristles  standing 
out  boldly  as  the  leg  is  forced  against  the  water  to  make  the 
next  stroke,  and  collapsing  as  the  limb  is  drawn  through  the 
water  in  readiness  for  the  next  stroke.  The  insect  never  lifts 
its  oar-legs  out  of  the  water,  and,  unless  some  provision  of  the 
sort  were  made,  it  would  travel  nearly  as  fast  backwards  as 


582  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

forwards.  In  fact,  the  movement  of  the  Water-boatman's  leg 
very  much  resembles  that  of  the  North  American  Indian's 
paddle.  He  never  takes  the  paddle  out  of  the  water,  but  first 
makes  his  stroke  with  the  flat  of  the  blade,  and  then  turns  the 
paddle  so  that  its  edge  is  presented  to  the  water  as  it  is 
brought  forward  in  readiness  for  the  next  stroke. 

One  of  these  insects,  Notonecta  glauca,  is  shown  on  Plato 
XIX.  Fig.  2. 

The  manners  and  customs  of  the  Water-boatmen  are  well 
worthy  of  study,  and  I  have  passed  many  pleasant  hours  in 
watching  their  habits,  both  at  liberty  and  in  captivity.  As  a 
rftle,  they  lie  on  their  backs  in  the  water,  but  they  do  not 
always  maintain  this  position.  On  fine,  hot,  summer  days, 
they  turn  over  and  sit  almost  on  the  surface  of  the  water,  with 
the  wing-cases  half  open  and  the  wings  partly  protruding  from 
them.  In  this  cm-ious  attitude  they  will  sit  for  an  hour  at 
a  time,  and  even  more  unless  disturbed,  as  long  as  the  sun 
shines  on  them.  It  is  remarkable  how  mere  attitude  will 
alter  the  aspect  of  an  insect.  The  Water-boatman,  as  it 
appears  when  darting  through  the  water,  and  when  sitting 
sunning  itself  on  the  surface,  is  so  totally  different  in  aspect, 
that  no  one  who  was  not  acquainted  with  the  insect  could 
suspect  its  identity. 

As  is  the  case  with  aquatic  insects  in  general,  the  Waijer- 
boatman  breathes  atmospheric  air,  respiration  being  conducted 
much  like  that  of  the  Water  Beetles,  which  have  already  been 
described.  In  the  case  of  the  Water-boatman,  however,  the 
comparative  transparency  of  the  elytra  enables  the  mode  of 
respiration  to  be  seen  better  than  can  be  done  with  the 
beetles.  I  have  often  watched  the  breathing  of  the  Notonecta, 
which  is  conducted  as  follows.  The  insect  lies  on  its  back, 
with  its  legs  spread,  the  tip  of  its  tail  just  above  the  surface 
of  the  water,  and  its  head  just  below  it.  Air  is  taken  into  the 
space  between  the  elytra  and  the  body,  and  is  passed  onwards 
towards  the  shoulders,  being  alternately  taken  in  and  ejected 
through  the  spiracles,  and  its  course  being  traceable  by  the 
quicksilvery  look  which  it  gives  to  the  elytra.  Having  com- 
pleted its  course  through  the  respiratory  system,  the  air  is 
sqeezed  out  at  the  junction  of  the  elytra  with  the  under  part 


HABITS  OF  THE  WATEE-BOATMAN.  583 

of  the  thorax,  and  ascends  in  bubbles  to  the  surface.  There  is 
always  a  small  bubble  of  air  at  that  point,  which  continually 
increases  in  size  until  it  is  detached  from  the  insect,  rises  to 
the  surface,  and  gives  way  to  another. 

The  wings  of  these  insects  are  large  and  powerful,  and  can 
carry  their  owner  at  a  considerable  speed.  The  insect  is  even 
able  to  take  to  flight  directly  from  the  surface  of  the  water, 
an  accomplishment  which  startled  me  in  no  small  degree  when 
I  first  saw  it.  When  it  wishes  to  fly,  it  dives  to  some  little 
distance  below  the  surface,  so  as  to  bring  itself  into  a  per- 
pendicular position,  with  its  head  upwards.  It  then  darts 
upwards,  giving  a  smart  stroke  with  both  its  swimming  legs 
as  it  reaches  the  surface.  By  this  stroke,  or  leap,  it  is  jerked 
several  inches  out  of  the  water,  when  it  spreads  its  wings 
suddenly,  and  with  a  loud,  dull  humming  sound,  much  like 
that  of  a  wasp  on  the  wing,  flies  away. 

In  common  with  the  rest  of  its  kin,  this  is  a  predacious 
insect,  feeding  almost  entirely  upon  other  aquatic  insects.  It 
does  not  eat  them,  but  seizes  them  with  its  fore-legs,  clasps 
tliem  tightly  to  its  body,  drives  its  beak  deeply  into  them,  and 
sucks  out  their  juices,  leaving  their  bodies  scarcely  altered 
in  form.  I  have  often  watched  the  Notonecta  seize  other 
inhabitants  of  the  water,  and  thus  kill  them.  When  it  has 
once  clasped  an  insect  in  its  fatal  hold,  it  can  scarcely  be 
induced  to  release  it  until  it  has  finished  its  meal,  but  swims 
about,  holding  its  victim  firmly  pressed  against  its  body  until 
all  its  juices  are  sucked  out. 

It  pays  a  great  regard  to  its  personal  cleanliness,  and  is 
fond  of  washing  itself  much  after  the  fashion  of  the  house- 
fly, using  its  fore-legs  for  this  purpose,  and  passing  them  over 
every  part  of  its  body,  the  head  being  moved  and  twisted 
from  side  to  side  exactly  like  that  of  the  blue-bottle  under 
similar  circumstances. 

The  larva  and  pupa  of  the  Water-boatman  resemble  the 
perfect  insect  in  habits  as  well  as  in  form,  excepting  that  the 
former  has  not  even  a  vestige  of  wings,  and  the  latter  only 
exhibits  them  in  their  rudimentary  form ;  consequently  they 
are  unable  to  fly,  and  their  whole  life  is  passed  in  the  water. 

The  proboscis  or  beak,  which  is  employed  by  the  Water- 
boatman  in  draining  its  victims  of  their  juices,  is  very  strong 


584  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

and  sharp,  and  can  be  used  as  an  instrument  of  defence  at  the 
will  of  the  insect.  If  the  Notonecta  be  seized  carelessly,  it 
will  drive  its  beak  into  the  hand,  causing  a  sharp,  smarting 
pain,  which  at  the  moment  so  closely  resembles  the  sting  of  a 
wasp,  that  few  persons  can  resist  the  instinctive  action  of 
dropping  the  insect.  No  real  harm,  however,  can  be  done, 
and  the  pain  goes  ofif  almost  as  rapidly  as  it  was  caused. 

There  are  many  species  of  Water-boatman,  the  insects  be- 
ing arranged  in  several  genera ;  but,  as  the  form  and  habits 
of  them  all  are  very  similar,  there  is  no  need  for  further 
description. 

An  allied  group  of  insects  is  known  by  the  generic  name  of 
Corixa.  A  magnified  view  of  the  commonest  of  these  Water- 
boatmen  is  shown  on  Woodcut  LXVIII.  Its  scientific  name 
is  Corixa  Geoffroyi.  In  these  insects  the  scutellum  is  not 
visible,  because  the  thorax  is  prolonged  over  it.  The  fore-legs, 
although  they  are  used  for  prehensile  purposes,  are  not  so 
entirely  raptorial  as  those  of  the  Notonectse,  and  the  tarsus  is 
composed  of  a  single  long  pointed  joint,  fringed  on  the  inner 
edge  with  stiff  bristles.  The  middle  legs  are  slender,  as  are 
their  claws,  and  the  long  hind  legs  have  the  two  tarsal  joints 
fringed,  and  are  used  for  swimming.  The  body  is  much 
flattened  above,  and  this  peculiarity  alone  is  sufficient  to  dis- 
tinguish it  from  the  Notonectse,  with  their  boat-like  backs. 
The  beak  is  short  but  sharp,  and  can  inflict  a  smart  prick  on 
the  fingers  if  incautiously  seized. 

Mr.  Westwood  remarks  that  in  the  winter  time  he  has  seen 
great  numbers  of  CorixEe  huddled  together  under  the  ice,  most 
of  them  grasping  each  other  with  their  legs.  They  appeared 
to  be  stupified  with  the  cold,  and  to  have  no  idea  of  devoming 
each  other. 

The  present  species  is  blackish-brown,  with  a  slight  yellowish 
tinge.  Upon  the  upper  part  of  the  thorax  are  a  number  of 
small  yellowish  spots,  arranged  in  transverse  rows,  and  some- 
times running  into  each  other,  so  as  to  produce  the  effect  of 
delicate,  irregular  stripes.  The  head  is  yellow,  and  the  eyes 
and  beak  are  black.  If  the  elytra  be  examined  with  a  tolerably 
powerful  magnifying  glass,  they  will  be  seen  to  be  covered 
with  very  fine  hairs  of  a  pale  yellow  tint. 


PLATE    XIX. 
AQUATIC    HETEROPTERA. 


1.  Ranatra  linearis. 

2.  Notonecta  glauca 

3.  Nepa  cinerea. 

Plants  : — 

Duckweed  (Zemna).     On  surface  of  water. 
Various-leaved  Pondweed  (Potamogetm  heterophyllus). 
Starwort  (^Aster  tripohum). 


THE   WATER-SCCKnON.  585 

The  insect  is  common  in  some  places,  and  can  be  taken  in 
company  with  the  Notonecta  as  it  darts  through  the  water. 
I  have  taken  great  numbers  of  them  in  the  Swindon  Reservoir, 
and,  as  far  as  I  know,  all  my  specimens  were  taken  in  that  spot. 

The  next  family  is  that  of  the  Nepidae,  popularly  known  as 
Water-Scorpions,  of  which  we  have  but  three  British  examples. 
The  best  known  of  these  insects  is  the  common  Water- 
Scorpion,  which  is  shown  on  Plate  XIX.  Fig.  3.  Its  scientific 
name  is  Nepa  cinerea.  The  Nepidse  may  be  easily  known  by 
the  flat  and  leaf-like  body  and  the  shape  of  the  first  pair  of 
legs,  which  are  formed  for  seizing  prey,  their  joints  doubling 
upon  each  other  as  the  blade  of  a  clasp-knife  is  doubled  into 
its  handle.    The  other  two  pairs  of  legs  are  formed  for  walking. 

In  some  of  the  species,  the  end  of  the  tail  is  furnished 
with  two  long,  slender,  bristle-like  filaments,  which  look  very 
much  like  an  apparatus  of  offence.  They  are,  however,  adjuncts 
to  the  respiratory  system,  and  serve  to  conduct  the  air  to  the 
spiracles  while  the  body  is  submerged.  In  these  insects  the 
spiracles  are  placed  quite  at  the  end  of  the  body,  those  of  the 
sides  being  only  indicated  by  rudimentary  marks.  In  the 
larval  state  these  filaments  are  represented  by  a  single  sharp 
point. 

Unlike  the  quick,  dashing,  and  wary  Water-boatman,  it  is  a 
slow,  crawling,  inactive  insect,  and,  if  seen  creeping  among 
the  plants  near  the  water  side,  can  be  picked  up  with  the 
fingers ;  indeed,  it  is  so  very  sluggish  in  its  movements  that, 
as  it  is  predacious  in  its  habits,  and  depends  for  its  food  on 
the  capture  of  other  inhabitants  of  the  water,  it  seems  hardly 
capable  of  gaining  a  subsistence.  There  is,  however,  but  little 
difficulty  in  this  respect.  The  Water-scorpion  lies  quietly 
among  the  aquatic  plants  until  some  luckless  insect  comes  by, 
when,  with  a  rapid  clutch  of  its  fore-legs,  the  victim  is 
captured,  and  held  tightly  until  its  juices  have  been  extracted. 
When  in  the  water,  the  insect  looks  so  exactly  like  a  small 
dead  leaf,  that  the  quickest  eye  might  fail  to  discern  it  as  long 
as  it  did  not  move.  It  is  probably  on  account  of  this  re- 
semblance to  a  leaf  that  the  Water-scorpion  is  able  to  secure 
its  prey,  which  consists  mostly  of  the  larvae  of  aquatic  insects, 
such  as  the  Mayfly  and  Whirlwig  beetle. 


586  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

The  eggs  of  this  insect  are  of  a  most  singular  shape,  the  base 
of  each  being  furnished  with  seven  horn-like  projections,  ar- 
ranged in  a  circle.  Before  the  eggs  are  laid,  the  horns  of  one  egg 
act  as  a  cup,  into  which  the  end  of  the  next  egg  is  received ; 
but  when  they  are  deposited,  the  horns  bend  backwards,  so 
as  to  form  a  circle  of  hooks  around  the  upper  end  of  the  egg. 

As  is  the  case  with  all  the  British  Nepidae,  the  colour  of  the 
Water-scorpion  is  dull  brown.  "When,  however,  the  elytra  are 
opened,  the  upper  part  of  the  body  is  seen  to  be  of  a  brick-red, 
which  also  tinges  strongly  the  base  of  the  wings. 

Theee  is  a  closely  allied  insect,  called  scientifically  Ranatra 
linearis,  which  resembles  the  Water-scorpion  in  many  par- 
ticulars.   This  insect  is  shown  on  Plate  XIX.  Fig.  1. 

This  is  more  active  than  the  preceding  insect,  and  uses 
its  fore-legs  in  a  most  wonderfully  skilful  manner.  With  these 
legs  it  seizes  its  prey,  which  consists  mostly  of  aquatic  insects  ; 
but  the  Eanatra  is  not  very  particular,  and  will  attack  any- 
thing, so  that  it  be  alive.  The  larvae  of  the  Mayfly  are  its 
favourite  food,  but  I  have  seen  it  eat  various  other  creatures, 
especially  the  freshwater  Crustacea.  It  is  really  a  fierce  being, 
and,  if  attacked,  has  no  idea  of  flight,  but  boldly  assumes  the 
offensive.  I  have  seen  one  of  these  insects  fight  a  piece  of 
stick  in  a  most  determined  manner,  striking  at  it  fiercely  with 
its  long  fore-legs.  When  so  acting,  it  has  a  most  formidable 
aspect,  as  may  be  seen  by  reference  to  the  illustration. 

The  wings  of  the  Eanatra  are  packed  away  very  neatly,  but 
are  quite  large  enough  to  bear  their  owner  through  the  air. 
Mr.  Westwood  mentions  that  he  has  seen  the  Eanatra  alight 
in  a  pond,  and  have  great  difficulty  in  forcing  itself  beneath 
the  surface  of  the  water,  on  account  of  the  dryness  of  the  two 
bristle-like  appendages  of  the  tail. 

The  last  British  species  of  this  family  is  called  Naucoris 
dmicoides,  and  is  easily  distinguished  by  possessing  no  fila- 
ments at  the  end  of  the  tail.  The  body  is  not  so  flat  as  that  of 
the  Water  Scorpion,  and  the  hind  legs  are  formed  for  swimming. 
It  is  very  much  more  active  than  either  of  the  preceding 
insects,  and  in  the  water  looks  so  like  the  Water-boatman  that 
it  might  easily  be  mistaken  for  that  insect.     The  fore-legs  are 


THE  NAUCOEIS.  587 

raptorial,. and  the  thighs  are  extremely  large  and  powerful. 
I  have  taken  great  numbers  of  this  insect  in  the  Swindon 
Reservoir,  and  been  made  practically  acquainted  with  the 
power  of  the  beak  and  its  capability  of  piercing  the  human 
hand.  The  beak,  though  it  be  short,  is  very  strong  and  very 
sharply  pointed ;  and  when  the  insect  is  at  rest,  the  end  of  the 
beak  exactly  reaches  to  the  base  of  the  fore-legs. 


APHANIPTEEA. 


APHANIPTEEA. 

CHAPTEE  I. 
PULICIDJE,  OR  FLEAS. 

The  rather  long  word  with  which  this  chapter  is  headed  is 
formed  from  the  Grreek,  and  signifies  '  Non-appearing  Wings.' 
This  name  is  given  to  the  insect  because  the  wings  are  not 
visible  to  ordinary  observation,  being  merely  represented  by 
four  very  minute  scales  on  the  thorax,  the  upper  two  of  which 
are  the  rudiments  of  the  first  pair  of  wings,  and  the  lower 
of  the  second  pair.  Popularly,  they  are  known  as  Fleas, 
and  are  rather  more  familiar  to  us  than  agreeable. 

When  placed  under  the  microscope,  the  Flea  really  be- 
comes an  interesting  insect,  with  some  share  of  beauty  about 
it.  The  jbody  is  rather  narrowed,  or  '  compressed,'  as  is  the 
correct  term;  it  is  covered  with  a  very  hard,  shining,  horny 
skin,  on  which  are  rows  of  short  and  sharp  bristles,  having 
their  points  directed  backwards.  It  is  owing  to  these  bristles 
and  the  projecting  edges  of  the  horny  segments,  that  to  hold  a 
Flea  in  the  fingers  is  so  difficult  a  task.  By  means  of  its 
powerful  limbs,  the  insect  forces  itself  through  the  fingers  a 
very  little  at  a  time ;  but,  however  short  may  be  the  progress  at 
each  struggle,  it  is  still  a  step  towards  freedom,  for  the  bristly 
rings  very  effectually  prevent  it  from  being  forced  back  into 
the  position  from  which  it  had  escaped. 

The  hind  legs  are  formed  for  leaping,  and  it  is  by  their  means 
that  the  insect  takes  such  prodigious  jumps.  It  can  crawl  as 
well  as  leap,  and  indeed,  does  crawl  by  preference,  only 
jumping  when  it  thinks  itself  in  danger. 

The  beak,  or   rostrum  (called   a   rostrulum  by  Kirby  and 


592 


INSECTS  AT   HOME. 


Spence),  is  exceedingly  complicated,  but  is  formed  of  modifica- 
tions of  parts  of  the  mouth  which  already  existed,  and  not  of 
entirely  new  organs.  Indeed,  like  the  beak  of  the  suctorial 
Heteroptera,  the  beak  is  formed  of  the  lips  and  jaws,  which  are 
modified  so  as  to  suit  the  wants  of  the  insect.  These  organs, 
though  similar  in  character,  vary  much  in  form  in  the  different 


1 .  Pulex  taTpae.       2.  Pulex  irritans.       3.  Culex  pipiens,  male. .  a.  Pulex  talp»,  mentum 

and  palpi.       6.  Do.,  side  view  of  head.        c.  Do., palpus.       rf.  Do., tarsus.        f.  Pulex  irritans, 
pupa.       /.  Do.,  mentum  and  palpi.        g.  Culex  pipiens,  male,  palpus.        h.  Do.,  antenna. 


species,  as  may  be  seen  by  reference  to  Woodcut  LXIX.  Figs,  a 
and  /,  of  which  the  former  represents  the  mouth  of  the  male 
Flea,  and  the  latter  that  of  the  common  Flea. 

The  transformations  of  this  insect  are  worthy  of  some  notice. 
The  female  Flea  lays  a  very  few  eggs,  seldom  more  than  twelve 
in  number,  and  deposits  them  in  any  convenient  spot.  Hearth- 
rugs are  favourite  resting-places  for  these  eggs,  and  so  are  the 
little  crevices  in  the  floor  or  walls  in  which  the  adult  insects 


HABITS  OF  THE  FLEA.  593 

hide  themselves  during  the  day-time.  In  due  course  of  time 
these  eggs  are  hatched,  and  produce  larvfB  in  the  shape  of 
tiny  white  grubs.  These  larvae  are  entirely  without  feet,  but 
push  themselves  along  by  means  of  the  hairs  which  are  attached 
to  the  segments  of  the  body.  The  last  segment  has  two  little 
hooks,  the  use  of  which  is  rather  obscure.  Perhaps  they  may 
be  used  in  order  to  afford  a  fulcrum  by  which  the  body  can  be 
retracted,  just  as  the  stiff  hairs  afford  points  by  which  the 
creature  can  be  urged  forward. 

Be  this  as  it  may,  the  larvae  are  very  active  little  beings, 
twisting  about  with  great  agility,  something  like  those  of  the 
gnat.  The  food  of  this  larva  is  said  to  consist  of  the  fleshy 
part  of  the  feathers  and  the  blood  of  animals,  but  I  very  much 
doubt  this  statement.  I  do  not  venture  to  deny  that  the  larva 
will  feed  on  these  substances,  when  it  can  get  them ;  but, 
seeing  that  at  least  ninety-nine  per  cent,  of  Flea-larvae  now 
living  must  have  been  without  access  to  mammalian  blood,  or 
fresh  feathers,  this  kind  of  food  cannot  be  universal.  Indeed, 
I  have  often  wondered  how  Fleas  support  life,  and,  unless  they 
feed  on  each  other,  I  can  scarcely  understand  their  mode  of 
supporting  existence. 

When  I  was  at  school,  I  had  the  misfortune  to  suffer  a 
simultaneous  dislocation  and  fracture  of  the  ankle,  and  was 
conveyed  to  the  infirmary,  a  large  room  at  the  top  of  the  house. 
Now,  this  room  had  been  without  tenants  ever  since  I  re- 
membered it,  and  I  believe  that  for  at  least  seven  years  no 
human  being  had  entered  the  room,  except  to  open  the  win- 
dows in  the  morning  and  shut  them  at  night.  The  room  was. 
kept  most  scrupulously  clean,  and  no  one  even  imagined  that 
a  Flea  was  in  it. 

That  the  room  was  tenanted  by  these  insects  I  found  to  my 
own  proper  cost.  No  sooner  was  the  candle  put  out  than  a 
simultaneous  attack  was  made  on  me  in  all  directions.  From 
every  part  of  the  room  Fleas  came  in  battalions.  There  was  a 
nurse  in  the  room,  who  was  one  of  those  persons  that  are  either 
impervious  or  objectionable  to  Fleas,  and  she  escaped  them 
entirely,  while  they  concentrated  all  their  energies  on  me. 

Now,  a  damage  such  as  I  had  suffered  is  not  conducive  to 
rest,  even  with  all  appliances.  The  limb  swells,  until  the  skin 
feels  almost  unable  to  resist  the  tension,  and  the  burning  heat 

Q  Q 


594  INSECTS  AT  HOJIE. 

is  as  if  melted  lead  were  being  continually  poured  over  the  joint. 
Fever  rages  through  the  frame,  and  the  first  endeavoiir  of  the 
surgeon  is  to  subdue  it  as  much  as  possible.  Under  such 
circumstances,  it  may  well  be  imagined  that  the  ceaseless 
attacks  of  the  Flea  armies  were  not  calculated  to  produce 
quietude,  and,  indeed,  had  the  occupier  of  the  bed  been  in 
perfect  health  and  strength,  one  such  night  would  have  sufficed 
to  drive  him  into  a  fever.  The  only  portion  of  the  skin  that 
escaped  was  that  which  was  covered  by  the  bandages,  and  even 
there  the  dreadful  little  insects  had  found  out  the  junctions  of 
the  bandages,  forced  themselves  under  the  edges,  and  driven 
their  beaks  into  the  skin,  so  that  when  the  bandage  was 
removed  in  the  morning,  its  course  could  be  traced  by  the 
rows  of  fleabites. 

The  insects  had  never  enjoyed  such  a  chance  of  a  banquet  in 
their  lives,  and  naturally  made  the  most  of  it.  But,  I  cannot 
but  wonder  on  what  food  they  had  subsisted  before  any 
wretched  human  being  was  delivered  over  to  them.  Genera- 
tion after  generation  must  have  been  hatched,  lived,  and  died, 
and  never  even  seen  a  particle  of  blood.  No  animals  of  any 
kind  ever  remained  in  the  room,  which  was  entirely  disused, 
and,  as  I  have  mentioned,  only  entered  for  a  minute  or  two 
daily,  and  that  at  a  time  when  all  the  Fleas  were  safe  in  their 
hiding-places. 

The  larvae  are  hq.tched  about  the  beginning  of  autumn,  pass 
the  winter  in  the  larval  condition,  and  change  to  pupge  in  the 
spring  of  the  following  year.  One  of  these  pupse  is  shown  on 
Woodcut  LXIX.  Fig.  2.  When  it  first  escapes  from  the  larval 
skin  it  is  white,  but  it  rapidly  assumes  the  well-known 
reddish-brown  hue  of  the  perfect  insect.  In  this  state  it  is 
perfectly  quiescent,  the  legs  being  enclosed  in  separate  cases, 
and  so  remains  for  about  a  fortnight,  when  it  throws  off  the 
pupal  skin  and  emerges  as  a  perfect  Flea,  ready  to  exercise  its 
wonderful  apparatus  of  laceration  and  suction,  if  it  should  only 
be  fortunate  enough  to  find  a  subject. 

The  Flea  is  possessed  of  an  amount  of  muscular  power  which 
is  really  enormous  in  comparison  with  the  size  of  the  insect. 
How  great  is  this  strength  is  shown  by  the  performances  of  the 
Industrious  Fleas,  of  which  we  have  all  heard,  and  which  some  of 
us  have  seen.     One  of  these  insects  will  draw  behind  it  a  weight 


THE  MOLE-FLEA.  595 

which  is  as  much  disproportioned  to  the  size  of  its  body  as 
would  be  one  of  Pickford's  lari>est  and  heaviest-laden  wao-oons 
to  a  human  being.  With  the  leaping  powers  of  the  Flea  we 
are  likewise  familiar,  though  perhaps  we  have  not  reflected 
that  the  average  jump  of  a  Flea  is  about  thirty  times  its  own 
height,  and  that,  supposing  a  man  of  six  feet  in  stature  were  to 
perform  the  same  leap,  he  would  jump  as  high  as  the  gallery  of 
the  Monument. 

There  are  many  species  of  Flea  known  to  entomologists. 
Mr.  Westwood  states  that  the  largest  specimen  that  he  has  seen 
was  captured  on  that  curious  animal,  the  Echidna,  or  Porcupine 
Ant-eater,  of  Australia.  This  insect  measured  no  less  than 
one-sixth  of  an  inch  in  length,  which  is  to  most  Fleas  what  a 
man  of  twelve  feet  in  height  would  be  to  ordinary  human  beings. 
One  of  the  largest  Fleas  that  inhabit  this  country  is  that  which 
is  parasitic  on  the  mole,  and  is  therefore  called  Fulex  ialpce. 
A  portrait  of  this  odd-looking  insect  is  given  on  Woodcut  LXIX. 
Fig.  1.  At  Fig.  a  is  shown  the  mentum  or  chin  of  the  Mole 
Flea,  with  its  palpus  at  either  side,  and  its  apparatus  of 
lancets  in  the  middle.  The  profile  view  of  the  head  is 
given  at  Fig.  6,  so  as  to  show  these  organs  in  a  different  posi- 
tion. One  of  the  palpi  is  shown  at  Fig.  c,  as  it  appears  when 
severed  from  the  head,  and  the  foot  is  drawn  at  Fig.  d. 

The  Common  Flea  {Pulex  irritans)  is  shown  at  Fig.  2  of 
the  same  illustration,  and  the  reader  can  easily  see  how 
different  are  these  two  species,  even  in  external  appearance. 
The  mentum,  palpi,  and  lancets  are  shown  at  Fig.  /. 

Besides  these,  almost  every  animal  has  its  own  species  of 
Flea,  each  of  which  has  some  characteristic  points  in  which  it 
differs  from  its  congeners,  and  can  be  recognised  with  the  aid 
of  the  microscope.  Fortunately,  in  this  country  we  have  no 
Flea  which  can  inflict  any  real  damage  on  us.  It  can  annoy 
us  terribly,  but  there  its  power  ceases.  In  the  West  Indies, 
however,  there  is  a  Flea,  popularly  called  the  Jiggee,  or 
Chigoe  {Pulex  'penetrans),  which  makes  its  way  under  the 
skin,  especially  of  the  toes,  lays  its  eggs  there,  and,  if  it  be 
suffered  to  proceed  in  its  task  unmolested,  fearful  ulcers  come, 

Q  Q  2 


596  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

and  the  damage  has  been  known  to  be  so  great  that  amputa- 
tion has  been  necessary  in  order  to  preserve  the  life  of  the 
patient.  The  Chigoe,  not  being  a  British  insect,  must  not  be 
described  in  these  pages ;  but  no  history  of  the  Flea,  however 
short,  would  be  complete  without  a  reference  to  this  small  but 
danoerous  insect. 


DIPTEEA. 


DIPTEEA. 


CHAPTER   I. 

The  last  Order  of  Insects  is  the  Diptera,  i.e.  those  insects  which 
have  only  two  transparent  wings,  incapable  of  being  folded. 
In  strict  accuracy,  these  insects  really  have  four  wings,  but  one 
pair  is  undeveloped,  and  only  represented  by  two  little  projec- 
tions called  halteres,  or  balancers.  These  will  be  described 
presently.  The  wings  have  generally  at  their  bases  a  pair  of 
little  winglets,  or  '  alulets,'  which  are  not  separate  wings,  but 
merely  appendages  of  the  true  wings.  The  tarsi  have  five 
joints.  There  are  other  distinctions,  but  these  are  amply  suffi- 
cient for  our  purposes. 

Now,  let  us  give  a  short  time  to  the  examination  of  the 
halteres.  If  the  reader  will  take  any  Dipterous  insect — the 
common  Daddy-long-legs  is  as  good  an  example  as  can  be 
found — and  look  at  the  thorax  with  a  magnifying  glass,  he  will 
see  that  the  development  of  that  part  of  the  body  is  very 
curiously  managed. 

The  front  division,  or  the  '  prothorax,'  is  very  small,  so  small 
indeed  that  it  is  scarcely  more  than  a  collar,  just  large  enough 
to  afford  support  to  the  first  pair  of  legs.  The  middle  division, 
or  '  mesothorax,'  is  enormously  large,  the  reason  being  that  it' 
has  to  carry  not  only  the  middle  pair  of  legs,  but  the  upper 
pair  of  wings,  and  must  therefore  afford  space  for  the  muscles 
which  move  those  organs.  And,  as  in  the  generality  of  the 
Diptera,  the  wings  are  moved  with  singular  rapidity,  it  is 
evident  that  their  muscles  must  be  proportionately  large.  The 
last  division,  or  '  metathorax,'  is  larger  than  the  prothorax,  and 
much  smaller  that  the  mesothorax.     It  carries  the  hind  pair  of 


600  INSECTS  AT  HOIME. 

legs  below,  and  the  balancers  above.  These  organs,  which  are 
the  rudiments  of  the  under  wings,  are  generally  shaped  like 
tiny  bristles  tipped  with  a  round  knob,  and  they  are  furnished 
with  muscles  by  which  they  can  be  kept  in  a  state  of  rapid 
vibration.  So  important  are  these  organs  that,  even  in  those 
Diptera  in  which  the  upper  wings  are  wanting,  the  halteres  ^re 
present. 

Their  small  size  renders  them  useless  for  the  purposes  of 
flight,  but  it  has  been  proved  that  they  serve  in  sonae  mode  to 
guide  the  flight — how,  it  is  not  easy  to  say.  The  ordinary 
shape  of  these  balancers  can  be  seen  by  reference  to  the  insect 
which  is  represented  on  Woodcut  LXX.  The  word  '  halteres '  is 
Greek,  and  signifies  an  adjunct  to  gymnastics,  which  has  long- 
been  abandoned.  Those  athletes  who  competed  for  the  wide 
jump,  used  to  take  in  their  hands  the  halteres ;  i.e.  a  pair  of 
iron  and  leaden  weights,  and,  as  they  made  the  spring,  they 
swung  the  arms  forward,  so  that  the  impetus  of  the  weights 
should  add  to  the  force  of  their  leap.  They  were  also  employed 
of  a  larger  size,  for  the  purpose  of  exercising  the  arms,  much  as 
we  use  dumb-bells. 

Other  peculiarities  of  this  Order  of  Insects  will  be  mentioned 
in  the  course  of  the  following  pages. 

With  regard  to  the  arrangement  of  these  insects,  there  has 
been  much  controversy  between  systematic  entomologists,  and 
much  yet  has  to  be  done  in  this  respect.  As,  however,  this  is 
not  a  purely  systematic  work,  but  deals  more  with  the  actions 
than  the  comparative  anatomy  of  insects,  we  will  accept  the 
system  of  Professor  Westwood,  a  system  which  he  has  elaborated 
with  great  labour  and  skill.  He  divides  them  first  into  two 
great  Sections,  the  first  of  which  he  calls  Cephalota,  because 
the  head  is  quite  distinct  from  the  thorax,  and  not  sunk  into 
it.  The  larva  undergoes  its  transformation  without  the  body  of 
the  parent,  and  the  claws  of  the  tarsi  are  not  toothed.  The 
first  of  these  definitions,  however,  is  quite  sufficient  to  enable 
the  observer  to  know  in  which  section  he  ought  to  place  any  fly 
that  may  come  before  him. 

This  section  he  again  separates  into  two  Divisions,  the  first 
of  which  is  the  Nemocera,  or  Thread-horned  Diptera,  in  which 
the  antennae  have  more  than  six  joints,  and  the  palpi  have 


PKOBOSCIS  OF  THE  GNAT.  601 

either  four  or  five  joints.  The  second  is  the  Erachocera,  or 
Short-horned  Diptera,  in  which  the  antennae  have  not  more 
than  three  distinct  joints,  and  the  palpi  not  more  than  two 
joints,  and  often  only  one. 

The  first  Division  embraces  those  insects  which  are  popularly 
known  as  Grnats  and  Daddy-long-legs,  and  scientifically  as 
Culicidse  and  Tipulidae.  We  will  begin  with  the  former,  and 
take  as  an  example  the  Common  Gnat  {Culex  pipiens),  the 
male  of  which  is  represented  on  Woodcut  LXIX.  Fig.  3. 

In  this  family,  the  parts  of  the  mouth  are  developed  into  a 
long  beak,  rather  thickened  at  the  end,  and  being  generally 
about  half  as  long  as  the  head  and  body  of  its  owner.  The 
beak  is  better  studied  from  a  female  than  a  male  specimen,  as 
only  in  the  former  is  the  complicated  structure  fully  developed. 
The  beak  consists  altogether  of  seven  pieces,  some  being  used 
as  lancets,  which  the  insect  can  drive  into  the  substances  on 
which  it  feeds,  and  the  others  act  as  sheaths  or  strengthening 
pieces.  Owing  to  the  very  small  size  of  the  Grnat  the  dissection 
of  the  beak  is  a  very  difficult  process.  Mr.  Westwood,  how- 
ever, has  succeeded  in  accomplishing  it,  and  his  account  is 
briefly  as  follows.  '  All  the  parts  of  the  mouth  of  a  mandibu- 
lated  insect  are  here  observable.  There  is  a  broad  and  hollow 
lancet-like  piece,  representing  the  upper  lip  (which  is  the 
most  robust  part  of  the  mouth,  except  the  labium)  ;  a  pair  of 
slender,  needle-like  pieces,  as  the  mandibles,  which  are  serrated 
on  the  outside  at  the  tip ;  a  second  pair  of  similar,  but  much 
more  slender  organs,  dilated  at  the  base,  representing  the 
maxillce,  to  the  bases  of  which  the  palpi  are  attached ;  a  veiy 
slender,  needle-like  instrument,  representing  the  tongue,  and 
the  outer  tubular  canal,  in  which  the  others  lodge  when  at  rest, 
representing  the  lower  lip.' 

I  have  slightly  abridged  the  above  description,  and  inserted 
the  italics,  in  order  to  point  out  more  strongly  the  analysis  of 
the  parts,  so  that  the  reader  may  see  that  the  beak  of  the  Gnat, 
with  its  apparatus  of  lancets  and  suction-tube,  is  formed  of  ex- 
actly the  same  elements  as  the  mouth  of  the  Stag-Beetle  which 
is  represented  on  page  9. 

I  strongly  recommend  any  reader  who  has  access  to  a  micro- 
scope to  examine  carefully  the  head  and  thorax  of  the  Gnat, 
both  male  and  female.     The  Gnat  is  a  singularly  unpleasant 


602  INSECTS  AT   HOME. 

insect  in  a  room,  but  it  is  marvellously  beautiful  under  the 
microscope,  and  should  be  examined  both  with  direct  and 
transmitted  light,  and  with  a  succession  of  powers,  beginning 
at  the  lowest  and  ending  at  the  highest,  so  as  to  gain  its 
beauties  of  detail  by  degrees.  The  antenna  of  the  male,  for 
example,  which  is  represented  on  Woodcut  LXIX.  Fig.  A,  is  a 
wonderfully  beautiful  object.  There  are  fourteen  joints,  and 
each  joint  is  furnished  with  a  whorl  of  long  hair,  disposed  as 
seen  in  the  illustration.  The  same  portion  of  the  female  has 
the  whorl  of  hair  so  short  as  to  be  invisible  without  the  aid  of 
a  lens.  Then  again,  the  beak,  the  wings,  the  limbs,  and  the 
body  generally  are  studded  with  beautiful  scales,  resembling  in 
form  those  of  the  Lepidoptera,  but  more  deeply  grooved,  and 
having  the  ridges  prolonged  beyond  the  end,  so  as  to  form  a 
row  of  little  spikes.  These  scales  are  so  plentiful,  so  easily 
detached  from  the  insect,  and  so  readily  recognised,  that  if  a 
G-nat  should  have  been  kept  in  a  box  in  which  various  other 
insects  have  been  placed,  the  microscope  will  detect  upon  all 
the  later  comers  some  of  the  scales  of  their  predecessor. 

These  scales  give  to  the  insect  a  splendour  of  colouring 
which  cannot  be  appreciated  until  the  microscope  is  brought  to 
bear  on  it,  and  which  entirely  baffles  any  power  of  description. 
So  I  recommend  my  readers  to  look  for  themselves,  and  to 
place  the  first  Gnat  that  they  catch  under  a  microscope,  taking 
care  to  concentrate  upon  it  as  brilliant  a  light  as  they  can 
obtain.  When  they  have  done  this,  they  will  begin  to  realise 
some  of  the  wonders  of  Fairyland,  and  to  see  actually  before 
their  eyes  splendours  which  the  most  daring  fairy  tale  has  but 
faintly  pictured.  Dull  and  colourless  as  the  G-nat  may  appear 
to  the  unaided  eye,  it  has  only  to  be  placed  under  the  r&vealing 
glass  of  the  microscope  to  blaze  out  in  a  magnificence  which 
would  pale  all  the  fabled  glories  of  Aladdin's  fairy  palace.  I 
have  no  doubt  that  all  this  splendour  is  perfectly  visible  to  the 
eyes  of  the  insects  themselves,  and  that  the  beauties  which  are 
hidden  from  us  until  we  have  recourse  to  artificial  vision,  are 
seen  and  appreciated  by  the  insects  whose  bodies  they  adorn. 

To  descend  to  more  prosaic  details — though  after  all,  the 
history  of  every  insect  is  really  a  poem — we  must  bear  in  mind 
that,  though  both  sexes  partake  of  this  splendid  apparel,  the 
male  does  not  possess  the  skin-piercing  lancets  with  which  the 


VENOM   OF  THE   GNAT.  603 

mouth  of  the  female  is  armed.  The  male  Gnat,  in  fact,  is 
perfectly  harmless,  and  it  is  to  the  female  alone  that  we  owe 
the  annoyances  which  have  rendered  the  sight  of  the  delicate 
little  insect  hateful  to  our  eyes,  and  the  really  musical  hum  of 
its  wings  a  terror  to  our  ears. 

In  this  favoured  country,  we  know  little  of  the  powers  of  the 
Grnat.  We  often  suffer  very  considerable  inconvenience  and 
annoyance  from  them,  as  I  can  testify,  having  twice  in  the 
summer  of  1870  lost  the  use  of  my  right  hand  for  a  week 
together  in  consequence  of  a  single  gnat-bite.  In  both  cases 
the  bite  took  place  just  at  the  junction  of  the  thumb  and  the 
wrist,  and  in  both  cases  the  effect  was  the  same.  The  hand 
swelled  until  it  looked  like  a  boxing-glove,  was  purple  in 
colour  where  it  was  not  crimson,  the  fingers  could  neither  be 
closed  nor  opened,  and  the  only  mode  of  subduing  the  fierce 
heat  of  the  hand  was  by  carrying  it  in  a  sling,  and  having  a 
piece  of  ice  fastened  on  it  over  the  spot  where  the  Grnat  had 
inserted  her  beautiful  but  objectionable  beak.  I  did  not  fully 
recover  the  use  of  the  hand  for  full  three  weeks  after  the  bite 
had  been  inflicted. 

Such  being  the  effect  of  a  single  gnat-bite  in  England,  we 
may  form  some  idea  of  the  terrors  of  this  little  insect  in  the 
coimtries  where  it  is  known  as  the  Mosquito,  where  the  venom 
of  its  bite  is  increased  tenfold,  and  its  numbers  are  multiplied 
by  millions.  Life  is  absolutely  rendered  a  burden  by  these 
tiny  insects,  which  assume  to  themselves  the  mastery  of  the 
country  in  which  they  live.  There  are  some  parts  of  the  world 
where  the  Grnat  has  absolutely  driven  the  human  inhabitants 
from  the  land  into  the  water.  For  some  reason,  not  at  present 
ascertained,  the  Grnat  never  Hves  at  any  distance  from  land.  It 
may  travel  inland  for  miles  from  the  spot  where  it  was  hatched, 
but  it  will  not  willingly  travel  to  any  distance  over  the  water. 
Knowing  this  peculiarity  of  constitution,  the  inhabitants  of 
such  spots  have  taken  advantage  of  it,  and  made  their  homes 
on  the  bosoms  of  lakes,  supporting  them  on  piles  driven  into 
the  ground. 

Here  we  really  have  no  idea  of  the  vast  Grnat  armies  that 
besiege  other  lands.  E\'fen  in  parts  of  Russia,  as  we  are  told  by 
Dr.  Clarke  from  his  own  experience,  no  amount  of  gloves, 
handkerchiefs,  and  thick  clothing  could  defend  man  or  woman 


604  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

from  the  Grnats.  On  one  occasion,  on  a  close  sultry  night, 
when  not  the  slightest  breeze  was  stirring,  and  in  consequence 
every  breath  of  air  was  priceless,  he  was  driven  to  take  refuge 
in  his  carriage,  and  to  shut  all  the  windows.  Now  closed 
windows,  although  they  may  exclude  those  Gnats  which  are 
outside  the  carriage,  cannot  eject  those  that  are  already  in  it, 
and  they  were  so  numerous  that  Dr.  Clarke  was  forced  to  tie 
several  handkerchiefs  over  his  head,  in  spite  of  the  sultry 
weather.  Setting  these  handkerchiefs  at  defiance  the  Grnats 
got  into  his  mouth,  crawled  up  his  nostrils,  and  forced  them- 
selves into  his  ears.  In  despair,  he  tried  to  light  a  lamp  and 
succeeded,  but  the  flame  was  instantly  extinguished  by  the 
Grnats,  who  flew  to  the  light,  and  poured  in  such  numbers  down 
the  glass  chimney  that  a  large  conical  heap  of  their  bodies  lay 
over  the  burner. 

As  for  remedies,  it  is  no  easy  matter  to  recommend  them.  I 
have  an  idea  that  the  remedy  must  suit  the  idiosyncrasy  of  the 
sufferer,  and  that  a  prescription  which  suits  one  person  admir- 
ably will  have  little  or  no  effect  upon  another.  For  my  own  part, 
I  have  found  that  arnica  serves  to  keep  down  the  swelling  and 
irritation  better  than  anything  else.  This  year,  1871, 1  have  been 
bitten  several  times,  but  have  applied  arnica,  and  found  that  it 
•  saved  a  vast  amount  of  torture.  There  was  some  swelling  and 
considerable  irritation,  lasting  for  several  days,  but  the  aggra- 
vated symptoms  of  the  preceding  year  did  not  show  themselves. 

The  life  history  of  the  Gnat  is  very  interesting.  When  the 
female  is  about  to  deposit  her  eggs,  she  proceeds  to  the  nearest 
water,  and  there  sets  about  the  last  task  of  her  life.  Placing 
her  front  legs  on  a  piece  of  floating  stick,  straw,  or  anything 
that  will  support  her  tiny  weight,  she  allows  the  middle  pair  of 
legs  to  rest  on  the  surface  of  the  water,  and  crosses  the  hind 
pair  so  as  to  look  like  the  capital  letter  X.  She  then  deposits 
a  rather  long  and  spindle-shaped  egg,  and  places  it  upright 
with  the  base  downwards  in  the  angle  of  the  X.  Another  egg 
is  quickly  placed  by  the  side  of  the  first,  and  followed  by 
others,  all  of  which  are  glued  together  by  a  cement  which  is 
not  affected  by  water.  Guided  by  the  crossed  legs,  the  eggs 
are  formed  into  a  boat-like  shape,  and  are  then  left  to  float  on 
the  surface  of  the  water. 

These  little  egg-boats  are  quite  plentiful  in  the  summer- 


TRANSFORMATIONS  OF  THE  GNAT.  (505 

time,  and  any  number  can  be  taken  for  the  purpose  of  experi- 
menting. Their  shape  very  much  resembles  that  of  the  life- 
boat now  in  use,  and,  like  the  life-boat,  the  egg -boat  cannot  be 
sunk,  and  if  capsized  rights  itself  again  immediately.  Even  if 
some  of  these  boats  be  placed  in  a  vessel  of  water,  and  the 
contents  of  the  vessel  be  poured  from  a  height  into  the  pond, 
the  little  boats  float  at  once  to  the  surface  like  so  many  corks, 
and  each,  as  it  rises,  assumes  its  proper  position. 

In  due  course  of  time  the  larva  is  hatched,  pushes  ofif  the 
lower  end  of  the  egg,  which  opens  like  a  little  circular  trap- 
door, and  allows  itself  to  float  off  into  the  water.  The  larva  is 
a  quaint-looking  little  being,  with  a  long  body  terminated  at 
one  end  with  a  large  round  head,  and  at  the  other  with  a 
forked  tail.  When  examined  through  the  microscope  the  larva 
is  a  most  cm-ious  creature,  the  semi-transparency  of  the  body 
rendering  the  internal  organs  almost  as  plainly  visible  as  if 
there  were  no  skin  at  all.  The  young  and  small  larv^,  which 
have  just  shed  one  of  their  successive  skins,  are  better  for 
microscopical  examination  than  those  of  a  larger  size,  because 
their  integuments  become  more  opaque  with  age,  Throuo-h 
the  centre  of  the  body  the  digestive  organs  are  marked  by  their 
darker  hue,  and  just  above  them  pulsates  the  'dorsal  vessel' 
which  stands  insects  in  the  stead  of  a  heart. 

On  either  side  of  the  body  runs  a  rather  dark  tube,  and  the 
two,  joining  each  other  at  the  angle  of  the  fork  of  the  tail, 
turn  off  to  one  of  the  points  of  the  fork,  and  run  side  by  side 
along  it.  These  tubes  are,  the  two  principal  canals  of  the 
respiratory  apparatus,  as  is  easily  seen  by  putting  a  high  power 
to  the  microscope — say,  an  object-glass  magnifying  some  two 
hundred  diameters.  When  this  is  done,  the  spiral  thread  which 
is  coiled  round  the  breathing  tube  of  insects  becomes  plainly 
visible,  and  at  once  declares  the  character  of  these  dark  vessels. 
At  regular  intervals  smaller  vessels  branch  off  to  the  other 
parts  of  the  body,  and  the  tubes  are  iinally  lost  in  the  com- 
paratively opaque  head. 

After  shedding  the  larval  skin  several  times,  the  pupal  state 
is  assumed.  In  this  condition  the  future  Grnat  can  move  about 
with  some  activity,  but  it  cannot  take  nourishment,  all  the 
apparatus  of  its  mouth  being  enveloped  in  the  pupal  skin. 
After  passing  a  short  time  in  this  state,  the  pupa  cracks  along 


606  INSECTS  AT  HOilE. 

the  back,  and  through  the  aperture  the  head  and  legs  of  the 
Gnat  show  themselves.  In  a  short  time  the  Gnat  draws  itself 
entirely  out  of  the  pupal  shell,  and  uses  it  as  a  kind  of  raft  on 
which  it  can  stand  while  it  shakes  out  its  damp  and  crumpled 
wings.  So  small  a  creature  does  not  require  any  long  time  for 
this  process,  and  as  soon  as  it  is  completed  the  Gnat  flies 
merrily  away. 

I  have  been  often  asked  to  give  some  hints  as  to  the  extir- 
pation of  these  insects.  There  are  but  very  few  that  can  be  given. 
In  all  places  where  ponds  and  stagnant  waters  are  near,  nothing 
can  be  done.  But  I  find  that  the  chief  nursery  of  the  Gnat  is 
the  open  rain-water-butt. 

The  ordinary  cover  is  useless  as  a  protection  from  Gnats,  as 
the  delicate  little  flies  can  insinuate  themselves  through  very 
small  crevices.  With  regard  to  my  own  butt,  I  first  nail  down 
the  ordinary  wooden  cover,  and  then  run  a  broad  strip  of 
canvas  round  the  upper  part  of  the  butt,  fastening  the  lower 
edge  to  the  butt,  and  nailing  the  upper  edge  on  the  wooden 
cover.  I  also  caulk  with  tow  any  crack  in  the  cover,  and  with 
the  same  substance  fill  in  the  space  between  the  rain-water 
pipe  and  the  sides  of  the  hole  in  the  cover  through  which  it 
passes.  There  has  been  a  notable  diminution  of  Gnats  since 
these  precautions  were  taken,  and  I  am  sure  that  if  every 
water-butt  were  similarly  protected,  the  number  of  Gnats  that 
get  into  houses  would  be  diminished  at  least  ninety  per  cent. 

Eeference  has  been  made  to  the  too  familiar  hum  of  the 
Gnat.  This  sharp  and  almost  trumpet-Uke  sound  has  been 
carefully  investigated,  and  by  means  of  an  instrument  known  as 
the  Siren  it  is  possible  to  count  the  number  of  beats  made  in  a 
given  time  by  the  wings  of  the  Gnat.  The  Siren  is  an 
instrument  which  can  produce  any  required  number  of  vibra- 
tions, and  as  they  are  produced  registers  them  on  a  dial.  Now 
it  is  found  that  when  the  vibrations  exceed  a  certain  number 
per  second,  a  definite  musical  sound  is  produced,  the  sound  or 
tone  becoming  sharper  in  exact  proportion  as  the  number  of 
vibrations  becomes  greater.  So,  if  a  Gnat  be  heard  to  hum, 
and  a  Siren  be  forced  to  produce  the  same  note,  the  instrument 
not  only  gives  the  exact  note,  but  registers  on  its  dial  the 
number  of  vibrations  required  to  produce  that  note — in  other 
words,  the  number  of  vibrations  of  the  Gnat's  wing  per  second. 


THE  DADDY  LONG-LEGS.  607 

Here  it  must  be  mentioned  that  these  wings  are  moved  in  a 
very  curious  manner.  It  was  formerly  thought  that  they 
passed  into  the  cavity  of  the  thorax,  and  were  worked  by  means 
of  the  pow.erful  muscles  attached  to  their  bases.  Such,  how- 
ever, is  not  the  case.  Let  any  reader  take  a  fly — one  of  the 
many  Hoverer  flies  is  perhaps  the  best — kill  it,  and  press  the 
point  of  a  pin  liglitly  on  the  middle  of  the  thorax.  It  will  be 
found  that  as  soon  as  the  point  of  the  pin  presses  the  thorax, 
down  go  both  the  wings,  so  that  in  fact  the  movements  of 
flight  are  made  by  the  action  of  the  thorax  to  which  the  wings 
are  attached,  and  not  by  the  action  of  muscles  directly  con- 
nected with  the  wing.  In  point  of  fact  the  wing  moves  by  the 
rapid  contraction  and  expansion  of  the  mesothorax,  such  move- 
ment being  caused  by  the  powerful  set  of  muscles  within  it. 

There  is  much  more  to  be  said  about  the  Grnat,  but  our 
rapidly  diminishing  space  warns  us  to  proceed  to  another 
typical  insect. 

On  Woodcut  LXX.  Fig.  1,  is  represented  one  of  our  finest 
British  examples  of  the  insects  called  by  the  popular  name  of 
Daddy-long-legs,  or  Crane-fly. 

The  name  of  this  particular  species  is  Tipula  longicornis, 
the  latter  name  being  given  to  it  on  account  of  the  great  length 
of  its  antennae. 

In  the  family  of  Tipulidae,  to  which  this  insect  belongs,  the 
proboscis  is  very  short,  with  its  internal  organs  very  slightly 
developed.  The  legs  are  very  long  and  slender,  as  is  the  body, 
and  the  alulets  are  almost  wholly  wanting.  The  larvas  of  some 
of  the  Tipulidae  live  in  the  water.  Those  of  the  genus  Chiro- 
nomus  are  long,  slender,  scarlet,  and  worm-like,  and  are  well- 
known  under  the  name  of  Blood-worms.  The  rain-water  butt 
is  a  favourite  nursery  of  these  insects,  and  their  larvae  may  often 
be  seen  in  the  ewer,  jerking  and  twisting  about  like  little  bits 
of  scarlet  thread  endowed  with  life. 

The  general  colour  of  the  present  species  is  ochreous-yellow. 
The  thorax  is  black,  with  a  slight  ashen- grey  down,  and  there 
is  a  yellow  semi-lunar  spot  before  each  of  the  wings.  The 
abdomen  has  a  short  slate-coloured  streak  down  each  side.  It 
is  a  tolerably  common  insect,  and  can  be  seen  while  flying 
alonof  hedo-e-rows  in  the  dusk. 


608 


INSECTS  AT   HOME. 


The  life  history  of  all  the  members  of  the  genus  Tipula  is 
very  similar.  The  eggs  are  laid  in  the  ground  by  means  of  the 
sharp  ovipositor  which  is  seen  at  the  end  of  the  abdomen  of  the 
female,  and,  when  she  is  seen  in  the  act  of  depositing  her  eggs, 
the  object  of  the  long  legs  is  evident.  She  always  chooses  some 
grassy  spot,  and  then  stands  almost  erect  on  her  hind  legs 


Tipula  longicorDis.        a.  Side  view  of  head,  showing  antenna,  palpus,  and  mouth, 
c.  Larva.  d.  Front  view  of  mouth,  showing  the  two  lobes. 


6.  Pupa. 


among  the  blades  of  grass,  with  the  point  of  the  ovipositor  on 
the  surface  of  the  ground.  She  then  begins  to  turn  her  body 
from  side  to  side,  just  as  the  carpenter  turns  a  bradawl  when  he 
wishes  to  bore  a  hole  in  a  plank,  and  in  a  short  time  is  enabled 
to  deposit  an  egg  beneath  the  surface  of  the  ground.  This  done, 
she  goes  to  another  spot  and  repeats  the  process,  until  she  has 
deposited  all  her  eggs. 

When  the  young  larvae  are  hatched,  they  make  their  way 


TRANSFORMATIONS   OF   THE   DADDY  LONG-LEGS.  609 

among  the  roots  of  the  grasses,  on  which  they  feed.  One  of 
these  larvoe  is  shown  at  Fig.  c.  They  are  tough-skinned,  hard- 
headed  beings,  and  do  incalculable  damage  to  our  lawns  and 
pasture  lands,  sometimes  cutting  away  the  roots  of  the  grass  so 
completely  that  large  masses  of  turf  are  completely  separated 
from  the  soil,  and  can  be  rolled  up  by  the  hand  as  if  a  turf- 
cutter  had  been  under  them.  There  is  no  remedy  against  these 
grubs  which  is  half  so  effective  as  the  starling.  This  bird 
has  a  wonderful  power  of  detecting  the  presence  of  the  sub- 
terranean larva. 

If  any  of  my  readers  will  get  up  very  early,  so  as  to  be 
abroad  at  day-break,  and  will  hide  himself  in  some  convenient 
nook  near  a  grass  lawn,  he  will  see  how  the  starlings  can  work 
for  the  benefit  of  man.  They  evidently  employ  the  sense  of 
hearing  as  their  principal  mode  of  discovering  their  prey,  and 
may  be  seen  with  the  side  of  their  heads  pressed  against  the 
ground,  evidently  listening  for  the  unseen  grub.  When  they 
have  made  up  their  minds,  there  is  no  delay,  for  the  bird 
gives  half  a  dozen  sharp  pecks,  thrusts  its  beak  deeply  into  the 
ground,  gives  a  strong  pull,  and  hauls  out  the  Tipula  larva, 
which  it  has  seized  by  the  head.  It  does  not  eat  the  grub, 
but  flies  off  with  it,  still  holding  it  by  the  head  with  the  very 
tip  of  its  beak. 

The  pupal  form  of  this  insect  is  shown  at  Fig.  6.  When  the 
pupa  is  about  to  change  into  the  perfect  form,  the  pupa  issues 
partly  out  of  the  ground,  and  the  skin  then  splits  and  allows 
the  perfect  insect  to  escape. 

For  the  following  interesting  details  of  the  Daddy  Long- 
legs,  I  am  indebted  to  the  Eev.  J.  W.  Brooks,  Great  Ponton 
Eectory,  near  Grantham  : — 

'  Some  years  since,  when  I  was  Vicar  of  Nottingham,  I 
turfed  over  a  small  plot  in  the  garden  at  the  back  of  my  house 
with  turves  procured  from  a  sandy  meadow  in  the  neighbour- 
hood. They  proved  to  be  full  of  the  eggs  of  the  Fly  above 
named  ;  and  in  the  spring  the  grass  portion  of  the  garden, 
comprehending  only  about  three  hundred  and  fifty  square  yards, 
was  swarming  with  their  grubs,  with  which  I  had  not  pre- 
viously been  acquainted.  They  were  sluggish-looking  larvae, 
curled,  and  apparently  harmless.  It  was  not  until  the  period 
of  their  escape  that  I  discovered  what  they  really  were,  and 

B   B 


610  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

killed  about  twelve  hundred  by  hand-picking,  giving  them  a 
squeeze  in  the  head  as  they  were  taken. 

'  I  did  not,  however,  at  that  time  understand  their  habits, 
or  the  slaughter  would  have  been  greater.  It  was  not  until 
the  latter  part  of  the  year  that  I  noticed  that  the  Fly  comes 
forth  from  the  earth  at  twilight — chiefly  in  the  evening,  but  in 
the  morning  twilight  also.  They  may  then  be  easily  taken  by 
pacing  about  upon  the  grass,  and  watching  them  as  they  emerge. 
To  aid  their  capture  the  grass  should  be  kept  close  cut  during 
the  season  of  their  appearance.  I  killed  upwards  of  two 
thousand  in  the  second  year,  and  in  the  fifth  year  of  their 
invasion,  I  saw  no  more  of  them. 

'  I  observed  that  the  male  commonly  leaves  his  case  in  the 
earth,  and  begins  to  fly  immediately  on  his  emerging  there- 
from ;  or,  after  the  lapse  of  a  minute  or  so,  while  he  rests  upon 
the  grass.  He  is  small  and  active,  and  scuttles  about  close  to 
the  ground  in  a  zigzag  manner,  like  a  spaniel  in  search  of 
game. 

'  The  female,  being  fat  and  plump,  particularly  towards  the 
end  of  the  abdomen,  often  cannot  extricate  herself  from  the 
old  case  in  which  she  has  been  entombed,  as  the  abdomen 
sticks  fast  in  the  upper  part  of  it,  which  is  the  narrowest.  I 
have  seen  them  shoot  up  by  the  half-score  together  in  the 
twilight  of  a  soft  summer's  evening,  unable  to  bring  the  case 
fully  out  of  the  ground.  The  wings  at  their  extremities 
frequently  remain  encased  together  with  the  abdomen,  and 
thus  the  insect  is  prevented  from  struggling  except  with  its 
fore-legs. 

'I  have  measured  them  when  in  this  position,  and  found 
them,  with  the  case  attached,  two  inches  and  a  half  in  length. 
Both  sexes  are  of  a  light  blanched  colour  on  their  first  coming 
forth  from  the  ground  ;  but  a  few  minutes  with  the  female,  and 
a  few  seconds  with  the  male,  change  them  to  their  usual  dusty- 
drab. 

'  The  reason  of  the  active,  searching  motion  of  the  male 
quickly  becomes  apparent — he  is  hunting  for  the  female.  As 
soon  as  he  discovers  one  of  them  in  the  hampered  position 
already  described,  he  rushes  to  her  aid,  and  with  his  fore-legs 
drags  her  out  of  the  light  pupa-case.  The  insects  remain 
together  for  several  hours,  and  may  thus  be  destroyed  before 
the  female  has  had  time  to  deposit  her  eggs. 


THE  CHAMELEON-FLY.  611 

'  If  the  mornings  or  evenings  are  frosty  or  damp,  the  insects 
are  dull  and  torpid,  and  may  easily  be  taken  with  the  hand ;. 
but  if  the  weather  be  hot  and  dry,  they  are  lively  and  saucy, 
and  fly  away  as  the  captor  approaches.  They  are,  however,  so 
silly,  that  often,  when  they  seem  to  be  flying  away,  they  rise 
up  in  the  air,  make  a  short  gyration,  and  descend,  with  a 
sudden  dart,  at  his  very  feet. 

'  The  time  of  the  appearance  of  the  perfect  fly  varies 
according  as  the  season  has  been  warm  and  dry  or  cold  and 
damp.  In  the  course  of  the  four  years  that  I  watched  for 
them,  their  first  appearance  varied  from  the  eighth  of  August 
to  the  fifth  of  September,  and  their  disappearance  from 
the  fifth  to  the  thirtieth  of  September.  The  process  of 
transformation  from  the  larva  to  the  fly  continued,  in  the 
entire  community  of  them,  from  twenty-one  to  twenty-five 
days.' 

The  pupa  of  this  insect  is  shown  at  Fig.  b.  Fig.  a  repre- 
sents a  magnified  profile  view  of  the  head  of  the  perfect  insect, 
and  Fig.  d  is  the  front  view  of  the  mouth. 

We  now  come  to  the  second  division  of  the  Cephalota, 
namely  the  Brachocera,  or  Short-horned  Diptera.  They  are 
divided  into  smaller  groups,  or  Stirpes,  as  Mr.  Westwood 
calls  them.  The  first  of  them  is  the  Notacantha,  or  Thorn- 
backs,  in  which  the  antennse  are  apparently  composed  of  only 
three  joints  (of  which  the  last  is  seen,  when  examined  by  a 
lens,  to  be  articulated),  and  the  proboscis  seldom  contains 
more  than  two  lancets.  The  pupa  is  enclosed  in  the  skin  of 
the  larva,  which,  however,  retains  its  previous  shape  instead  of 
being  formed  into  an  oval  cocoon,  as  is  the  case  with  the  com- 
mon flies  and  bluebottles.  We  can  only  take  one  example  of 
this  group,  the  Forked  Chameleon  Fly  {Stratiomys  furcata\ 
which  is  represented  on  Woodcut  LXXI.  Fig.  3.  In  this 
genus  the  proboscis  is  very  short,  and  the  basal  joint  of  the 
antennse  is  much  longer  than  the  second.  The  third  joint  is 
apparently  very  long,  but  the  microscope  shows  that  it  is 
composed  of  several  joints  fused  together,  as  may  be  seen  by 
reference  to  Fig.  h. 

Most  of  the  insects  belonging  to  this  family  are  beautifully 
coloured,  and  many  of  them  shine  with  metallic  tints,  mostly 

B  B  2 


612 


INSECTS  AT  HOME. 


tending  to  purple.  The  present  species  is  rather  variable  in 
colouring,  whence  one  of  the  three  species  derives  the  name  of 
Chameleon.  It  always,  however,  has  a  velvet-black  body,  on 
which  are  a  number  of  bold  yellow  patches,  arranged  as  shown 
in  the  illustration.  The  legs  also  are  yellow.  There  are  three 
species  all  very  much  alike  in  colouring,  and  almost  identical 

LAXi 


1,  AsiliiR  crabroniformis.  2.  Asilns  germanictis.  3.  Stratiomys  fnrcata.  4.  Eristalis 
tenax.  a.  Asilus  crabroniformis,  tarsus.  b.  Stratiomys  furcata,  antenna.  c.  Bristalis 
tenax,  antenna. 


in  their  life  history.  The  larva  of  this  insect  is  an  odd- 
lookin'^  eature,  long,  slender,  and  worm-like,  with  its  seg- 
ments \ery  strongly' marked,  and  gradually  diminishing  in 
diameter  towards  the  tail,  which  is  furnished  with  a  star  of 
radiating  hairs.  As  is  the  case  with  the  larva  of  the  Grnat,  that 
of  the  Chameleon-fly  breathes  through  the  end  of  the  tail, 
the  larva  remaining  suspended  with  its  head  downwards  and  its 
star-tipped  tail  at  the  surface.     The  life  history  of  the  Common 


TRANSFOKIVIATIONS   OF  THE  CHAMELEON-FLY.  613 

Chameleon-fly  {Stratiomys  Chameleon)  has  been  so  tersely  and 
fully  given  by  Mr.  F.  Walker  in  his  '  Insecta  Britannica,'  that 
I  cannot  do  better  than  transfer  his  account  to  these  pages  : — 

'  These  flies  feed  on  the  honey  of  flowers,  and  appear  in  the 
spring  and  in  the  summer  on  aquatic  plants :  their  flight  in 
hot  weather  is  very  rapid,  but  short,  and  they  quickly  return  to 
the  spot  whence  they  took  wing.  The  larvse  are  aquatic,  and 
the  metamorphosis  of  Stratiomys  Chameleon  has  been  often 
observed. 

'Its  eggs  from  white  become  green,  and  then  change  to 
orange-green ;  they  are  arranged  like  tiles  on  a  roof,  one  laid 
partly  over  another,  on  the  underside  of  the  leaves  of  Alisma 
plantago,  the  water  plantain.  The  larva  often  remains 
suspended  by  its  radiated  anus  at  the  surface  of  the  water, 
with  its  head  downwards.  Its  ganglions  are  so  near  each  other 
as  to  appear  like  a  string  of  beads.  When  it  is  disposed  to 
sink  to  the  bottom  or  to  descend,  by  bending  the  sides  of  its 
tail,  so  as  to  form  a  concavity,  it  includes  in  them  a  bubble  of 
air,  in  brilliancy  resembling  silver  or  pearl,  and  then  sinks 
with  it  by  its  own  weight :  when  it  would  return  to  the  surface 
it  is  by  means  of  this  bubble.  If  it  moves  upon  the  surface  or 
horizontally,  it  bends  its  body  alternately  to  the  right  and 
left,  contracting  itself  into  the  form  of  the  letter  S,  and  then 
extending  itself  again  into  a  straight  line  :  by  these  alternate 
movements  it  makes  its  way  slowly  in  the  water.  It  has  much 
resemblance  to  some  of  the  Polypi  vaginati.  The  last  joint  of 
the  pupa  retains  the  exact  form  of  the  larva-body,  is  extremely 
long,  and  terminates  in  an  orifice  to  receive  the  air,  which  is 
surrounded  by  a  circle  of  about  thirty  diverging  rays,  con- 
sisting of  beautifully  feathered  hairs  or  plumes. 

'  The  feathery  hairs  are  so  prepared  as  to  repel  the  water, 
and  thus  to  suspend  the  animal  by  its  tail  at  the  surface,  and 
preserve  a  constant  access  of  air.  When  it  has  occasion  to 
sink,  it  turns  these  hairs  in  and  shuts  the  orifice,  carrying  down 
with  it  an  air-bubble  that  shines  like  quicksilver,  and,  as 
is  conjectured,  enables  it  again  to  become  buoyant  when  it 
wants  to  breathe.  The  dorsal  vessel  (series  of  hearts,  or  artery) 
is  attenuated  at  both  ends.  The  ovaries  of  the  fly  are  agglo- 
merate, and  the  egg-tubes  form  two  bundles,  in  which  the 
branches  are  not  discernible.' 


614  INSECTS  AT   HOME. 

The  last-mentioned  fact  is  a  very  curious  one,  as  all  will 
admit  who  have  dissected  insects.  I  have  dissected  a  vast 
number  of  insects,  representing  every  order,  and  nearly  every 
important  group  in  entomology,  but  I  never  dissected  a 
Stratiomys,  and  never  saw  the  remarkable  structure  which 
Mr.  Walker  mentions. 

When  the  larva  is  about  to  undergo  its  change  to  the  pupal 
form,  the  larval  skin  hardens,  without  much  alteration  of  its 
shape,  and  within  this  cover  the  pupa  becomes  developed. 
Being  much  smaller  than  the  larva,  the  pupa  only  occupies  a 
portion  of  the  larval  skin,  so  that  a.  large  space  is  left,  render- 
ing the  pupa  and  its  case  much  lighter  than  water,  and 
enabling  it  to  float  at  liberty  on  the  surface. 

We  now  come  to  the  next  group,  or  Stirps,  of  the  Cephalote 
Diptera.  They  are  called  Tanystoma,  or  Long-mouthed  Flies, 
in  consequence  of  the  construction  of  the  mouth,  which  is 
generally  very  prominent,  and  is  furnished  with  a  lancet-like 
labrum  and  tongue.  The  larvae  are  very  worm-like,  without 
feet,  and  having  the  head  hard  and  scaly.  They  live  under- 
ground, and  there  pass  through  their  transformations,  as  we 
shall  see  in  our  short  history  of  the  following  insect. 

On  Plate  XX.  Fig.  1  is  represented  the  Geeat  Breeze  Fly, 
GrAD  Fly,  or  Cleg  {Tahanus  bovinus),  one  of  the  largest  of  our 
Dipterous  insects.  Its  colour  is  rather  variable,  but  its  general 
effect  is  brown,  sometimes  deepening  into  dark-brown  and  yellow, 
with  chestnut  triangular  marks  down  the  centre.  It  has  very 
much  the  aspect  of  a  large  bee,  and  its  wheeling  flight  and 
loud  hum  serve  to  strengthen  the  similitude.  The  mouth  is 
armed  with  most  formidable  lancets,  and  the  insect,  at  least  the 
female  Breeze  Fly,  can  employ  them  with  terrible  effect.  The 
tough  skin  of  cattle  is  no  defence  against  the  lancets  of  the 
Breeze  Fly,  and  the  very  hum  of  one  of  these  insects  is  able 
to  set  a  whole  herd  of  cattle  scampering  off  in  every  direction. 

Even  human  beings  are  not  exempt  from  the  attacks  of  the 
Breeze  Fly,  as  I  can  aver  from  much  experience.  Some  years 
ago  I  was  spending  a  week  or  two  in  the  New  Forest,  and 
would  have  enjoyed  it  without  alloy,  had  it  not  been  for  the 
Breeze  Flies,  which  almost  drove  me  out  of  the  Forest.  They 
seemed  to  detect  me  at  a  wonderful  distance,  and,  with  a  loud, 


ATTACKS   OF   THE   GREAT   GAD-FLY,  615 

fierce  hum,  as  if  sounding  the  charge,  they  would  dart  at  ir.e, 
and  in  a  moment  bury  their  hmcets  in  the  skin.  So  fierce 
were  their  assaults  that  they  even  pierced  a  stout  coat  of 
Scotch  tweed  and  a  flannel  shirt,  and,  in  spite  of  these  protec- 
tions, drew  blood  from  my  arms.  For  the  first  few  days  I 
was  so  persecuted  by  these  insects  that  I  hardly  dared  venture 
into  the  Forest,  and  was  seriously  considering  whether  I  should 
not  be  obliged  to  go  home  again. 

Their  favourite  point  of  attack  was  just  behind  the  ear. 
There  was  no  hope  of  resisting  them,  for  they  did  not  wait  to 
settle,  as  reasonable  flies  might  be  expected  to  do,  but  drove 
straight  at  me  with  extended  beaks,  and  buried  their  lancet- 
armed  beak  so  deeply  that  each  prick  felt  as  if  a  stout  needle 
had  been  run  sharply  into  me.  On  returning  to  my  lodging, 
after  a  few  hours  in  the  Forest,  I  have  had  the  whole  space 
behind  my  ears  filled  with  clotted  blood,  my  neck  filled  also 
with  blood,  my  collar  glued  to  my  neck,  and  long  tracks  of 
blood  running  down  my  body  and  arms.  The  hands  were 
served  in  just  the  same  way,  and,  if  I  had  not  worn  leather 
gauntleted  gloves,  and  tied  them  at  the  wrists,  I  should  scarcely 
have  been  able  to  move  a  finger. 

At  last  I  discovered  a  plan  which  enabled  me  to  enjoy 
comparative  immunity  from  these  and  other  insect  pests. 
Before  starting  into  the  Forest,  I  dipped  a  little  sponge  in 
paraffin  and  rubbed  it  well  over  my  hands,  face,  and  neck.  I 
also  put  some  of  the  liquid  into'  the  gloves,  and  took  a  little 
bottle  with  me,  so  that  I  might  renew  it  as  soon  as  the  odour 
began  to  decrease  in  strength.  Thus  armed,  I  went  into  the 
Forest,  and,  hearing  in  the  distance  the  well-known  trumpet- 
charge  of  the  Breeze  Fly,  determined  to  await  its  onset  without 
flinching. 

The  creature  drove  fiercely  at  my  face  until  it  was  within  a 
foot  or  eighteen  inches  from  me,  when  it  came  within  the 
vapour  of  the  paraffin,  and  darted  off  like  an  arrow.  Two  or 
three  times  it  tried  the  assault,  and  as  often  had  to  check 
itself,  until  at  last  it  fiew  off  in  disgust  and  did  not  return. 
After  this  glorious  repulse  of  the  enemy  I  never  troubled 
myself  about  the  flies,  but  used  to  amuse  myself  by  hearing 
them  in  the  distance,  and  then  seeing  them  dart  away,  utterly 
discomfited  with  the  novel  odour.     Of  course,  the  smell  of  the 


616  INSECTS  AT  HOJVIE. 

paraffin  was  not  very  agreeable  to  my  own  nostrils,  but  of  the 
two  evils  it  was  infinitely  the  lesser,  and  I  was  only  too  glad  to 
accept  it. 

On  the  frontispiece,  Fig.  9,  is  a  coloured  portrait  of  the 
Humble-bee  Fly  {Bombylius  medius),  as  it  appears  while  on 
the  wing. 

This  insact  is  an  example  of  the  Bombylidse,  a  family  in 
which  the  body  is  short  and  thick,  with  the  wings  extended 
horizontally  on  either  side  of  the  body.  The  proboscis  is  very 
long,  and  the  thorax  very  convex.  All  the  Bombylidse  fly 
with  wonderful  rapidity,  and  in  many  of  their  habits  resemble 
the  Humming-Bird  Moth,  which  has  already  been  described. 
Like  that  insect,  the  fly  has  a  way  of  suddenly  appearing  as  if 
by  magic,  and  then  disappearing  as  rapidly,  its  darting  flight 
being  as  invisible  as  the  track  of  a  bullet  through  the  air. 
Like  the  Humming-bird  Moth,  it  feeds  while  on  the  wing, 
balancing  itself  at  some  little  distance  from  a  flower,  plunging 
the  end  of  its  long  proboscis  into  the  nectary,  and  sucking  out 
the  sweet  juices. 

A  warm  spring  day  is  the  time  in  which  the  Humble-bee  Fly 
may  generally  be  seen.  I  have  taken  many  of  them  in  Bagley 
Wood,  and  found  no  gi'eat  difficulty  in  catching  them  when 
their  ways  were  learnt.  It  is  useless  to  run  after  one  of  these 
insects,  as  the  least  movement  will  terrify  it,  and  send  it  off  fai: 
beyond  the  reach  of  the  net.  Whenever  I  wanted  to  catch  a 
Bombylius,  I  used  to  look  out  for  a  patch  of  primroses  on 
which  the  sun  was  shining,  and  to  wait  there  with  the  net 
placed  close  to  the  flowers  in  readiness  for  a  stroke. "  After 
waiting  some  little  time,  and  taking  care  not  to  make  the 
slightest  movement,  a  Bombylius  was  nearly  sure  to  come  to 
the  flowers,  and  hover  first  over  one  and  then  over  another  as  if 
to  ascertain  which  blossom  contained  the  most  honey.  Having 
at  last  fixed  upon  a  flower,  it  would  plunge  its  proboscis  into  it, 
and  then  a  quick  stroke  of  the  net  would  secure  it  before  it  had 
time  to  dart  away. 

Passing  by  a  considerable  number  of  Flies,  we  come  to  the 
family  Asilidse.  In  this  family,  the  body  is  long  and  the 
thorax  narrowed  in  front.     The  wings  have  some  perfect  cells, 


THE  DRONE-FLY.  617 

and  the  protoscis  is  stretched  forward  and  about  as  long  as  the 
head.  There  are  many  of  these  insects,  and  as  their  habits  are 
very  similar  we  will  take  the  present  species  as  an  example. 

The  GrREAT  Hornet  Flt  {Asilus  crabroniformis)  is  shown  on 
Woodcut  LXXI.  Fig.  1.  Its  colouring  is  simple,  but  exceed- 
ingly bold.  The  thorax  is  chrome-yellow,  rather  darker  behind, 
and  two  blackish  stripes  run  parallel  to  each  other  on  the  back. 
The  basal  half  of  the  abdomen  is  velvet-black,  and  the  rest 
bright  chrome-yellow.  The  wings  are  yellow  and  so  are  the 
legs. 

At  a  little  distance  this  insect  really  looks  very  much  like  a 
hornet,  and  it  has  all  the  predacious  habits  of  that  insect.  It 
is  seldom  seen  without  a  fly  or  other  insect  in  its  grasp,  the 
fore-legs  clasping  it  firmly  and  the  beak  diiven  into  the  body 
of  its  victim.  It  is  spread  over  the  whole  of  England,  but 
prefers  sea-side  downs  and  similar  places.  My  own  specimens 
were  all  taken  on  the  great  rolling  chalk-downs  of  Wiltshire. 

It  has  rather  a  peculiar  mode  of  flight.  It  keeps  near  the 
gromnd,  and  there  waits  until  it  feels  that  it  is  in  danger,  when 
it  rises  and,  with  a  sort  of  uncertain  drifting  movement,  flies 
some  ten  or  twelve  yards,  and  then  settles  again.  If  followed 
up  it  is  easily  taken,  as  it  soon  appears  to  tire  of  these  repeated 
flushings,  and  allows  the  pursuer  to  come  quite  close  before  it 
will  move.  This  is  by  far  the  handsomest  and  most  con- 
spicuous of  its  family,  all  the  others  being  comparatively  dull. 
At  Fig.  a  is  shown  the  tarsus  of  this  insect. 

The  next  family  which  comes  before  us  is  the  large  and 
important  family  of  the  Syrphidae,  popularly  known  as  Hoverers, 
Hawk-flies,  and  Drone-Flies.  In  this  family  the  head  is  hemi- 
spherical, and  in  the  males  the  greater  portion  of  it  is  occupied 
by  the  eyes.  The  antennaBare  three-jointed,  and  bear  a  bristle, 
as  seen  at  Fig.  c  on  Woodcut  LXXI.  There  are  several  perfect 
cells  in  the  wings. 

We  shall  take  several  examples  of  this  large  family,  on 
account  of  the  peculiar  habits  of  their  larvae. 

On  Woodcut  LXXI.  Fig.  4  is  shown  the  common  Deone-Flt 
{Eristalis  tenax),  which  is  so  plentiful  in  the  summer  time, 
and  is  so  often  taken  for  a  bee  on  account  of  its  form,  colour, 


618  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

large  wings,  and  humming  flight.  Moreover,  it  has  a  bee-like 
habit  of  moving  its  abdomen  up  and  down  as  if  threatening  to 
use  a  sting,  and  in  consequence  of  this  resemblance  it  is  very 
needlessly  dreaded  by  the  generality  of  those  who  see  it.  Its 
coloui-  is  variable,  but  is  generally  some  shades  of  brown,  grey, 
and  black.  It  is  very  swift  on  the  wing,  and  has  a  quick 
darting  flight  much  resembling  that  of  the  Humble-Bee  Fly, 
which  has  just  been  described. 

The  larva  is  a  most  curious  being.  It  is  a  worm-shaped 
grub,  the  tail  of  which  is  prolonged  into  a  wonderfully  long 
telescopic  tube,  by  means  of  which  the  creature  breathes,  the 
air-tubes  passing  through  it  exactly  as  was  related  of  the  gnat 
larva.  When  this  telescopic  tail  is  prolonged  to  its  greatest 
extent,  it  is  about  as  thick  as  an  ordinary  pin.  Owing  to  the 
transparency  of  its  walls,  the  double  air-tube  within  it  can  be 
easily  seen,  and  when  the  tail  is  elongated  so  are  the  air-tubes. 
But  when  the  larva  is  frightened  and  contracts  its  tail,  tlve  air- 
tubes  may  be  seen  doubled  up  in  an  apparently  complicated 
but  really  simple  manner,  just  below  the  base  of  the  tail.  As 
may  be  supposed,  when  a  telescopic  tail  of  more  than  two 
inches  in  length  is  suddenly  shut  up  and  reduced  to  a  nullity, 
the  elastic  air-tubes  within  it  must  undergo  a  process  of 
folding.  This  is  done  with  such  precision  that  the  tail  can  be 
gradually  extended  or  smartly  closed  over  and  over  again,  and 
yet  not  one  single  fold  of  the  enclosed  air-tubes  ever  hitches 
over  another  so  as  to  impede  the  play  of  the  all-important 
tubes. 

This  may  appear  a  very  simple  matter,  but  it  is  in  fact  a 
very  complicated  one,  as  may  be  seen  from  the  following 
parallel.  Suppose  that  an  ordinary  telescope  were  drawn  out 
to  its  fullest  extent,  and  that  two  india-rubber  tubes  were 
stretched  inside  it,  parallel  to  each  other.  Now  if  the  telescope 
be  closed,  the  tubes  fall  of  necessity  into  coils  in  the  lowest  and 
largest  joint  of  the  telescope.  Open  the  telescope  again,  and 
the  two  tubes  will  again  be  straight  and  parallel,  provided  that 
they  have  not  interfered  with  each  other  while  they  were  coiled 
up  together  at  the  bottom  of  the  telescope.  Let  but  one  single 
coil  envelope  another,  and  either  the  telescopic  joints  cannot 
be  opened,  or  one  of  the  tubes  is  snapped. 

I  have  dissected  numbers  of  these  larvae,  and  have  always 


THE  EAT-TAILED  MAGGOT.  619 

been  impressed  with  the  wonderful  power  and  foresight  dis- 
played in  this  one  point.  Suppose  that  an  Eristalis  larva,  or 
Eat-tailed  Maggot  as  it  is  popularly  called,  be  put  into  spirits 
of  wine  for  the  purpose  of  killing  it,  the  tail  at  once  contracts, 
so  that  no  one  who  was  not  acquainted  with  the  creature  could 
recognise  it.  If,  however,  the  tip  of  the  tail  be  seized  between 
the  points  of  the  forceps,  and  the  organ  be  drawn  out  to  its  full 
extent,  the  air-tubes  can  be  seen  to  unfold  themselves  with  the 
most  perfect  accuracy.  A  hitch  never  occurs,  but  the  coils,  or 
rather  the  folds,  open  out  one  after  the  other,  and  the  two 
convoluted  tubes  become  straight  and  parallel. 

This  remarkable  tail  is  rendered  necessary  on  account  of  the 
habits  of  the  larva  which  owns  it.  The  creature  lives  in  a 
manner  which  to  us  would  be  about  as  miserable  as  can  be 
imagined.  It  passes  the  whole  of  its  life  immersed  in  thick 
and  semi-putrid  mud,  with  its  head  downwards.  The  mud 
cannot  be  too  thick,  too  black,  or  too  noisome  for  this  larva. 
There  was. one  place  where  I  could  procui'e  as  many  Eat-tailed 
larvae  as  I  liked.  Just  under  the  eaves  of  a  church  roof  a  large 
tub  had  been  sunk  in  the  ground,  for  the  purpose  of  catching 
the  rain-water.  Year  after  year  it  had  been  neglected,  and  it 
had  become  two-thirds  full  of  a  horribly  fetid  mud,  composed 
of  dead  leaves,  worms  that  had  crawled  over  the  edge  of  the 
tub  and  fallen  into  the  water,  frogs  and  toads  that  had  foolishly 
jumped  into  the  tub,  forgetting  that  they  could  not  jump  out 
again,  quantities  of  moths,  beetles,  and  other  insects  that  had 
inadvertently  fallen  into  the  water  and  been  drowned,  field- 
mice  that  had  overbalanced  themselves  in  trying  to  drink,  and 
other  substances  too  numerous  to  mention. 

The  state  of  such  a  mud  can  easily  be  imagined,  and  yet  this 
horrible  compound  was  in  its  way  a  Paradise  to  vast  numbers 
of  Eat-tailed  Maggots,  which  were  busily  employed  in  their 
beneficent  task  of  transmuting  death  into  life,  and  of  devouring 
this  poisonous  and  mephitic  mud,  so  that  it  might  be  changed 
into  bright  and  active  flies.  Such  is  indeed  the  task  of  these 
and  many  other  insects,  and  it  is  absolutely  impossible  to 
exaggerate  the  debt  of  gratitude  which  we  owe  them.  Every 
Drone-Fly  which  we  see  is  a  living  proof  that  a  certain  amount 
of  pestilential  matter  has  been  consumed  and  rendered  harm- 
less, and  it  is  evident  that  such  insects  ought  to  be  encoiu-aged 


620  INSECTS  AT   HOME. 

and  protected  in  every  mode  that  lies  in  the  power  of  civilised 
man. 

To  return  for  a  moment  to  our  larva.  It  is  impossible  that 
any  creature  could  obtain  air  while  buried  in  the  thick  mud 
which  has  just  been  described.  There  are  many  creatures, 
especially  Crustacea,  which  do  live  buried  in  mud,  but  then 
they  always  form  a  slight  tunnel,  so  that  they  are  really 
immersed,  not  in  mud,  but  in  water.  The  Eat-tailed  Maggot, 
however,  is  really  buried  in  the  mud,  and  needs  some  apparatus 
for  communicating  with  the  air.  This  apparatus  is  supplied  by 
the  telescopic  tail  of  the  larva,  which  can  be  projected  out  of 
tbe  mud,  and  by  means  of  the  double  air-tubes  which  it 
contains  conveys  the  necessary  amount  of  oxygen  to  the  system. 

The  Hail'  can  be  retracted  with  great  rapidity.  I  had  a 
great  number  of  the  larvae  in  a  bottle,  on  the  bottom  of  which 
was  placed  a  layer  of  mud  in  which  the  creatures  could  bury 
themselves,  and  the  rest  of  the  bottle  nearly  filled  with  water. 
When  all  was  quiet,  all  the  tails  remained  quite  upright,  and 
looked  like  a  number  of  young  aquatic  plants.  But  if  the 
slightest  jar  were  given  to  the  bottle,  all  the  tails  were 
retracted,  and  the  water  was  left  clear  and  empty  as  if  by  a 
conjuring  trick. 

When  the  larva  is  full-fed  on  the  disgusting  substances 
which  form  its  dainties,  it  extricates  itself  from  the  mud  by 
means  of  seven  pairs  of  tiny  hooked  feet,  crawls  ashore,  buries 
itself  in  the  earth,  and  there  awaits  its  change.  The  larval 
skin  then  shortens  and  hardens,  and  the  pupa  separates  itself 
from  its  former  skin,  which  then  acts  the  part  of  a  cocoon.  In 
process  of  time  the  transformation  is  complete,  and  the  dull 
motionless  grub  that  had  passed  its  whole  life  sunk  in  the  dark 
and  obscene  mud  is  transformed  into  a  creature  of  light,  gifted 
with  enormous  eyes  and  glittering  powerful  wings,  and  darting 
through  the  air  with  a  rapidity  so  great  that  the  eye  cannot 
follow  its  track.  The  specific  name  of  tenax  is  given  to  the 
insect  on  account  of  the  tenacity  with  which  it  holds  to  any 
object  that  it  may  grasp  with  its  feet. 

On  Woodcut  LXXII.  Fig.  3  is  represented  an  insect  called 
Merodon  clavipes. 

In  this  genus  the  body  is  blunt  and  hairy,  the  third  joint  of 


THE  MEEODON. 


621 


the  antennaj  is  oval,  and  the  thighs  of  the  hind  legs  have  a 
strong  tooth  at  their  tips.  The  generic  name  Merodon  refers 
to  this  structure,  signifying  literally  '  thigh-toothed,'  and 
the  specific  name  of  claoipes,  or  club-footed,  cilludes  to  the 
thickened  and  club-like  form  of  the  hind  leg. 

This  is  rather  a  pretty  insect.     The  thorax  is  shining  black, 
with  grey  hair  at  the  sides,  and  the  abdomen  is  black,  adorned 


LXXli 


1.  Vohicella  pellucens.      2.  Volucella  plutnata.      3.  Mtjrodon  clavii)es.     4.  Syrphns  lucorum. 
a.  Volucella  pellucens,  clypeus.  b.  Do.,  antenna.  c.  Do.,  ocelli.         d.  Do.,  front  of  head, 

e.  SjTphus  lucorum,  antenna. 


with  a  covering  of  rich  golden  hairs.  There  is  also  a  tuft  of 
golden  hair  at  the  base  of  the  antennse.  Tbe  larva  feeds  on  the 
bulb  of  the  narcissus,  into  which  it  burrows,  and  devours  the 
inside.  It  is  rather  an  odd  and  clumsy-looking  grub,  shaped 
much  like  a  rolling-pin,  and  covered  with  successive  rings  of 
hair.  The  mouth  has  two  scaly  hooks,  and  immediately  above 
them  are  two  short,  forked  horns. 


622  INSECTS  AT  HO.ME. 

On  Woodcut  LXXII.  Fig.  1  is  shown  one  of  our  most  curious 
insects,  called  Volucella  pellucens. 

It  is  impossible  for  a  mere  woodcut  to  represent  the  very 
peculiar  stn^cture  of  this  creature.  In  the  illustration,  the 
two  large  white  patches  on  the  abdomen  look  as  if  they  were 
merely  white  and  opaque,  whereas,  in  reality,  they  are  almost 
as  translucent  as  if  made  of  glass.  Indeed  the  whole  upper 
part  of  the  abdomen  seems  as  if  it  were  made  of  very  transpa- 
rent horn,  the  only  opaque  portion  being  the  dark  stripe  down 
the  centre.  Like  the  generality  of  its  family,  the  insect  is  very 
swift- winged,  and  has  a  quick,  darting  flight,  which  makes  its 
capture  a  work  of  some  difficulty.  I  have  taken  plenty  of 
specimens  in  Bagley  Wood,  waiting  for  them  as  they  balanced 
themselves  near  flowers,  and  then  capturing  them  with  a  smart 
stroke  of  the  net. 

The  larva  of  the  Volucella  is  parasitic  on  the  nests  of  social 
hymenoptera.  I  have  often  obtained  these  larvse  from  the 
nests  of  humble-bees,  and  always  thought  that  they  restricted 
themselves  to  these  bees.  Mr.  S.  Stone,  however,  found  that 
the  common  wasp  was  also  favoured  with  the  presence  of  these 
parasites.  In  his  description  of  sundry  wasp-nests,  published 
in  the  '  Zoologist,'  p.  9452,  he  writes  the  following  remarks  : — 
'  Upon  the  crown  of  almost  every  nest  (of  Vespa  vulgaris)  I 
examined,  after  the  season  had  become  advanced,  I  found  eggs 
of  Volucella,  and  my  attention  was  in  several  instances  drawn 
to  a  nest  by  seeing  a  specimen  of  Volucella  pellucens  or  of  Volu- 
cella bombylans  hang  about  or  alight  near  the  entrance  to  it.' 

These  larvae  are  most  extraordinary-looking  beings.  Sup- 
posing a  rolling-pin  to  be  cut  in  two  transversely  in  the  middle, 
each  half  will  accurately  resemble  the  Volucella  larva.  The 
small  end  of  this  larva  is  the  head,  which  is  furnished  with  a 
pair  of  double-toothed  mandibles  and  six  little  tentacles ;  and 
the  large  and  bluntly-truncated  end  is  the  tail,  around  the 
circumference  of  which  are  planted  six  soft  radiating  tentacles. 
The  whole  of  the  body  is  thickly  covered  with  transverse 
wrinkles,  and  along  the  sides  is  a  row  of  five  points.  At 
Fig.  a  is  shown  the  curiously  notched  clypeus  of  this  insect. 
At  Fig.  b  one  of  the  antennae  is  drawn,  so  as  to  show  the  bold 
double-feathering  with  which  the  bristle  of  the  antennse  is 
adorned ;  and  at  Fig.  c  the  front  of  the  head  is  drawn,  for  the 


8CHE  HAWK-FLIES.  623 

purpose  of  showing-  the  enormous  eyes  of  the  insect,  and  the 
space  which  they  occupy  in  the  head.  The  ocelli,  or  simple 
eyes,  are  shown  at  Fig.  c. 

On  the  same  Woodcut,  Fig.  2,  is  shown  another  species, 
called  Volucella  plumata,  so  called  because  the  bristle  of  the 
antennae  is  so  strongly  feathered  that  it  is  quite  conspicuous 
even  to  the  naked  eye.  It  looks  very'  much  like  a  humble-bee, 
and  indeed,  so  closely  resembles  a  worker  humble-bee,  that  no 
one  who  was  not  an  entomologist  would  think  that  it  could  be 
any  other  insect.  The  thorax  is  shining  black,  and  has  a 
quantity  of  golden-yellow  hair  on  the  sides.  The  thorax  is  also 
black,  with  yellow  hair  on  the  base,  and  grey  hair  at  the  end. 

This  species  haunts  the  nests  of  humble-bees,  and  probably, 
owing  to  the  bee-like  aspect  of  the  insect,  mixes  freely  with 
the  bees  and  passes  in  and  out  of  the  nest  without  challenge. 
I  have  often  taken  them  near  the  nests  of  humble-bees,  and,  in 
consequence  of  the  remarkable  similitude  of  the  insects,  at 
first  allowed  the  Flies  to  escape,  taking  them  for  bees.  Indeed, 
in  the  first  instance,  it  was  only  the  difference  of  flight  that 
betrayed  the  parasite. 

At  Fig.  4  of  Woodcut  LXXII.  is  drawn  an  insect  belonging 
to  the  typical  genus.     Its  name  is  Syrphus  lucorwm. 

The  word  Syrphus  is  Greek,  and  is  given  under  a  remark- 
able variety  of  forms,  being  indifferently  spelt  as  Serphos, 
Sterphos,  or  Seriphos.  It  is  used  to  designate  some  small 
winged  insect,  but  that  the  word  is  not  rightly  applied  to  the 
present  group  of  insects  is  evident  from  tlie  fact  that  an  old 
Grreek  proverb  alludes  to  the  Syrphus  as  possessing  a  sting. 

In  these  insects  the  third  joint  of  the  antennse  is  oval,  the 
abdomen  is  elliptic  and  depressed,  the  legs  are  slender,  and  the 
tarsi  simple  in  both  sexes,  whereas  in  some  genera  the  front  tarsi 
of  the  males  are  flattened  and  widened.  They  are  popularly 
known  as  Hawk-flies. 

This  species  is  rather  a  pretty  insect.  Its  general  colour  is 
black.  The  thorax  is  clothed  with  rich,  warm-brown  hairs, 
and  the  base  of  the  abdomen  with  golden  down.  It  is  slightly 
variable  in  the  colour  and  extent  of  its  markings,  and  in  some 
specimens  there  is  a  brown  patch  on  the  base  of  the  abdomen. 


624  INSECTS   AT  HOME. 

The  larva  of  the  Syrphus  is  predacious,  and  feeds  upon  the 
aphides  ;  so  that  every  Syrphus  that  is  seen  in  the  garden 
ought  to  be  protected  as  an  inestimable  friend  to  the  gardener. 
In  shape  it  very  much  resembles  the  Volucella  larva  which 
has  just  been  described,  the  grub  being  small  and  tapering  at 
the  head,  and  wide  and  blunt  at  the  tail.  When  the  female 
Syrphus  is  engaged  in  the  great  work  of  oviposition,  she  looks 
out  for  the  leaves  or  twigs  which  are  most  thickly  beset  with 
aphides,  and  deposits  an  egg  among  them,  never  putting  two 
eggs  near  each  other.  As  soon  as  it  is  hatched,  the  young 
Syrphus  larva  finds  itself  in  the  midst  of  its  food,  and  straight- 
way takes  advantage  of  the  position  in  wliich  it  is  placed. 
Clinging  to  the  leaf  with  the  projections  on  its  under  surface, 
the  larva  stretches  out  the  fore  part  of  the  body,  and,  with  a 
curious  apparatus  belonging  to  its  mouth,  seizes  on  an  aphis.  It 
then  pulls  the  aphis  from  its  hold  on  the  leaf  or  twig,  and  holds 
it  aloft,  so  that  the  struggles  of  its  prey  are  quite  useless,  and 
in  this  position  sucks  the  juices.  A  very  few  minvites  suflSce  for 
this  operation,  and  it  then  throws  away  the  emptied  skin  of  the 
unfortunate  aphis,  and  waits  until  another  comes  in  its  way. 

When  full-fed,  the  Syrphus  larva  fixes  its  tail  very  firmly  to 
the  plant  on  which  it  has  been  living,  attaching  it  by  means 
of  a  sort  of  glue  or  cement.  The  whole  of  the  body  then 
contracts,  and  the  pupa  is  developed  within  the  larval  skin, 
which  acts  the  part  of  a  cocoon.  It  is  a  curious  fact  that 
when  this  change  takes  place,  the  creature  exactly  reverses  its 
shape,  the  thick,  blunt  tail  being  contracted  nearly  into  a 
point,  while  the  slender,  attenuated  fore  part  of  the  body 
becomes  thick  and  blunt.  Before  many  days  have  elapsed, 
the  fly  is  fully  developed,  pushes  strongly  against  the  end  of 
its  habitation,  forces  off  the  end  with  its  head,  and  emerges 
upon  the  world. 

Another  species  of  these  insects,  Syrphus  or  SocBva  pyrastri, 
is  shown  on  Woodcut  LXXIII.  Fig.  1.  This  fine  insect  is 
blackish-blue,  on  which  is  a  whitish-grey  down.  The  thorax 
is  very  shining,  and  on  each  side  of  the  abdomen  are  three 
short  bands,  varying  from  pure  white  to  golden  yellow.  In 
some  few  species  the  bands  are  absent.  The  larva  may  be 
found  feediijg  on  the  aphides  of  the  rose-tree. 


SWARM  OF  HAWK-FLIES. 


625 


All  the  Hawk-flies  are  extremely  variable  in  their  numbers, 
sometimes  being  very  scarce,  while  at  other  times  they  appear 
in  swarms.  There  is  a  notice  in  the  '  Entomologist,'  vol.  iv. 
page  357,  by  Mr.  C.  Home,  in  which  the  numbers  of  these 
insects  are  mentioned. 

'At  Margate,  on  August  24,  1869,  there  came  a  great 
number  of  these  insects,  so  as  to  attract  the  notice  of  all 

LZZIII 


1.  Syrphus  (or  Scseva)  pjrastri. 
4.  Tachina  grossa.  a.  Do.,  head, 
of  male. 


2.  Conops  macrocephalns.  3.  Tachina  ferox. 

b.  Do.,  antenna.        c.  Conops  macrocephalns,  abdomen 


visitors.  Many  specimens  were  taken,  among  which  I  have 
identified  Syrphus  balteatus,  S.  decorits,  S.  tceniatus,  S.  topia- 
Hus,  and  Eristalis  tenax.  The  wind  was  then  blowing  from 
the  east,  and  it  was  very  hot  weather.  The  pier  at  Eamsgate 
on  the  same  day  was  almost  covered  with  them,  and  everyone 
said  that  they  came  from  the  Channel.  After  this  tlie  wind 
was  from  inland,  but  it  was  too  fresh  and  breezy  for  many  to 

s  s 


626  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

remain ;  and  they  had  become  so  scarce  in  the  month  of 
September,  that  with  difficulty  seven  or  eight  specimens  were 
procured. 

'  The  servant  at  one  of  the  houses  in  Clifton  Terrace, 
Margate,  says  that  she  had  to  go  to  all  the  windows  with 
a  dust-pan  and  brush,  to  take  them  away  from  the  window- 
ledges  ;  and  I  have  been  given  to  understand  that  it  was  the 
same  in  most  of  the  houses  at  the  place.  They  went  by 
strange  names,  but  the  most  common  one  was  that  of  "  horse- 
stingers,"  from  their  appearance. 

'  You  have  already  noticed  flights  of  this  class  of  insects 
in  the  "  Zoologist ; "  and  Mr.  F.  Smith,  of  the  British  Museum, 
tells  me  that  he  saw,  some  years  since,  the  line  of  surf  on  the 
beach  for  miles  covered  with  the  dead  bodies  of  Syiyhus 
pyrastri,  so  that  they  might  have  been  taken  up  by  shovels- 
full.  This  was  at  Bournemouth,  and  the  insects  had  been 
drowned  in  the  sea,  and  their  remains  thus  cast  ashore.  The 
same  thing,  he  tells  me,  was  observed  to  occur  at  the  back  of 
the  Isle  of  Wight,  which  is  not  far  off.  Hence  these  flights 
would  appear  to  be  not  uncommon,  although  when  they  do 
occur  they  are  worthy  of  note.' 

The  next  family  is  that  of  the  Conopidae,  which  are  repre- 
sented by  a  very  pretty  insect,  called  Gonops  vesicularis,  which 
is  shown  on  Plate  XX.  Fig.  2. 

In  all  the  Conopidse  the  proboscis  is  always  long  and  pro- 
jecting, elbowed,  and  siphon-shaped  ;  while  it  varies  in  form 
from  conical  and  cylindrical  to  thread-like.  In  this  organ 
both  the  mandibles  and  the  lancet  which  represent  the  maxillae 
are  absent,  and  only  those  portions  remain  which  represent  the 
upper  lip  and  tongue ;  so  that  all  the  Conopidse  are  perfectly 
harmless,  and  cannot  even  prey  upon  other  insects. 

This  species  bears  the  most  extraordinary  resembK-^ce  to 
the  solitary  wasps  belonging  to  the  genus  Odynerus.  The 
thorax  of  this  insect  is  black,  and  the  base  of  the  abdomen  is 
orange,  the  remainder  being  black  and  yellow,  arranged  as 
shown  in  the  illustration.  The  wings  are  transparent,  and  are 
clouded  with  brown. 

In  its  larval  state  this  is  one  of  the  many  parasitic  insects, 
living  in  the  interior  of  the  humble-bee.  Like  the  Stylops, 
which  has  already  been  described  in  the  course  of  this  work, 


PLATE    XX. 
DIPT  ERA. 


1.  Tabanus  bovinus, 

2.  Conops  vesicularis. 

3.  Gasterophilus  equi 

4.  Tachina  grossa. 

Plant  :— 

Honeysuckle. 


THE  MUSCID^.  627 

it  undergoes  all  its  transformations  within  the  body  of  the 
living  bee,  and  then  forces  its  way  into  the  world  between 
the  segments  of  the  insect  in  which  it  had  lived.  Latreille 
reared  four  of  these  curious  flies  from  humble-bees  which  he 
had  placed  in  a  box. 

There  are  several  species  of  Conops,  all  prettily  coloured. 
There  is,  for  example,  Conops  flavipes,  a  smaller  and  slighter 
insect  than  the  preceding  species,  velvet-black  in  colour,  banded 
with  bright  golden  yellow.  Then  there  is  Conops  rujipes, 
which  is  coloured  exactly  like  the  hornet,  the  thorax  being 
reddish-brown  and  the  abdomen  yellow,  banded  with  dark  brown. 
Another  species,  Conops  macrocephalus,  is  shown  on  Woodcut 
LXXIII.  Fig.  2,  and  the  curious  abdomen  of  the  male  insect  is 
drawn  at  Fig.  c.  The  specific  name  macrocephalus  signifies 
long-headed,  and  is  given  to  the  insect  in  consequence  of  the 
shape  of  the  head,  which  is  wider  than  the  thorax. 

This  is  a  pretty  and  not  common  insect.  The  general  colour 
is  black,  and  there  is  a  coating  of  short  ashen  hairs.  The  face 
is  yellow,  the  antennae  rust-red,  and  upon  the  shoulder  of  the 
thorax  there  is  a  spot  of  silvery  white.  The  wings  are  yellowish, 
darkening  into  brown  on  the  costal  margin.  The  abdomen  is 
black,  the  margin  of  each  segment  is  yellow,  with  a  silvery 
gloss.  The  legs  are  reddish,  and  the  base  of  the  thighs  dark 
brown.     The  insect  may  be  found  upon  flowers. 

The  generic  name  Conops  is  clearly  a  wi'ong  one,  and 
calculated  to  mislead  anyone  who  is  something  of  a  classical 
scholar  and  little  of  an  entomologist.  The  word  is  Greek, 
signifying  a  gnat,  and  has  been  incorporated  in  our  lan- 
guage in  the  well-known  word  '  canopy,'  i.e.,  a  gnat-curtain, 
that  being  the  real  meaning  of  the  word.  Herodotus  employs 
the  word  Conops  when  describing  the  gnats  or  mosquitos  which 
infest  the  marshy  lands  on  the  banks  of  the  Nile,  and  the 
method  employed  by  the  fishermen  in  guarding  themselves 
from  the  attacks  of  these  troublesome  insects. 

We  now  come  to  the  enormous  family  of  the  Muscidge,  a 
family  which  may  rank  with  the  ichneumon-flies,  the  Noctuse 
and  Tinese  Moths,  and  the  Eove-beetles,  as  tests  of  an  entomo- 
logist's temper  and  patience.  It  is  hardly  possible  to  imagine 
anything  more  trying  to  the  entomologist  than  to  have  half  a 

s  s  2 


628  INSECTS  AT  HO:\IE. 

dozen  large  boxes  of  Muscidse  placed  before  him,with  instructions 
to  find  out  their  names,  and  to  marshal  them  in  their  right 
places.  The  task  really  seems  to  be  a  hopeless  one,  and  life  to 
be  too  short  for  accomplishing  it,  more  especially  as  there  are 
sure  to  be  some  hitherto  undescribed  species,  and  they  are 
equally  sure  to  come  first  to  hand,  as  if  for  the  express  purpose 
of  making  the  unfortunate  entomologist  hvmt  for  their  descrip- 
tion in  vain.  At  least  a  thousand  species  of  Muscidae  are 
known  to  inhabit  England,  and  it  is  probable  that  twice  that 
number  may  be  yet  discovered  and  named. 

Fortunately,  there  is  no  diflSculty  in  deciding  whether  a  fly 
belongs  to  this  family  or  not,  as  a  glance  at  the  proboscis  will 
at  once  determine  its  place.  This  organ  is  short  and  mem- 
branous, and  terminated  by  two  large  lobes,~the  structure  of 
which  will  be  briefly  described  in  the  course  of  the  following 
pages.  None  of  the  Muscidse  are  of  any  great  size,  the  ordi- 
nary house-fly  being  of  about  the  average  dimensions. 

Without  going  further  into  detail,  we  will  begin  with  the 
insect  which  is  represented  on  Woodcut  LXXIII.  Fig.  3,  and 
which  is  called  Tachina  ferox. 

In  some  respects  this  insect  resembles  the  ichneumon-flies 
which  have  been  already  described.  The  female  lays  her  eggs 
upon  the  bodies  of  various  caterpillars,  and  the  young  larvse,  as 
soon  as  they  are  hatched,  penetrate  into  the  body  of  the  cater- 
pillar, and  feed  upon  the  fatty  substance  which  was  intended 
to  be  the  subsistence  of  the  insect  during  its  pupal  stage  of 
existence.  One  naturalist  reared  as  many  as  eighty  speci- 
mens of  Tachina  from  a  single  caterpillar  of  the  Death's-head 
Moth.  Not  only  the  Lepidoptera,  but  other  orders  of  insects, 
are  subject  to  the  attacks  of  these  flies,  for  they  have  been  as- 
certained to  inhabit  the  larvse  of  various  Coleoptera,  Hymen- 
optera,  and  even  the  bodies  of  spiders. 

The  present  species  has  its  head  tinged  with  grey,  and 
chestnut  hairs  on  either  side.  The  abdomen  is  yellowish,  and 
shining  as  if  made  of  horn,  and  is  black  along  the  middle,  and 
slightly  clothed  with  stiff  hairs.  The  wings  are  transparent, 
and  tend  to  yellow  towards  the  base. 

The  largest  of  these  insects  is  that  which  is  drawn  on  Wood- 
cut LXXIII.  Fig.  4»     It  is  called  Tachina  grossa,  and  is  so 


THE   IVIEAT-FLY. 


629 


large  and  hairy  that  it  looks  very  much  like  a  black  humble- 
bee.  Th.e  general  colour  of  this  insect  is  black,  but  there  is 
some  yellow  hair  on  the  face  and  sides.  The  very  peculiar 
antenna  is  shown  at  Fig.  6,  and  the  front  of  the  head  at  Fig.  a. 
Altogether  no  less  than  one  hundred  ard  sixty-six  species  of 
Tachina  have  been  discovered  in  this  country,  and  described  ; 
and,  in  all  probability,  many  more  remain  to  be  discovered. 


DOQV 


1.  Musca  or  Anthoaiyia  lardaria.  female. 
c.  Do.,  facets  of  eye.  2.  Musca  chloris,  male. 

e.  Do.,  tongue.       /.  Do.,  antenna. 


a.   Do.,  antenna.  6.   Do.,  foot. 

d.  Musca  chloris,  head  of  female. 


Another  figure  of  Tachina  grossa  is  given  on  Plate  XX. 
Fiof.  4. 


On  Woodcut  LXXIV.  Fig.  1  is  shown  an  insect  called 
the  Meat-fly  {Musca  Antho^myia  or  Arlcia  lardaria).  In 
this  genus  the  bristle  of  the  antennae  is  feathered,  the  abdomen 
is  oval  and  bristly,  and  the  alulets  are  large.     The  colour  of 


630  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

this  species  is  blue-black,  and  the  head  is  gilded  above  and  in 
front.  The  eyes  are  hairy,  there  are  four  longitudinal  black 
stripes  on  the  thorax,  and  the  whole  of  the  body  is  .sparingly 
covered  with  very  short  greyish  down. 

There  are  many  species  of  this  genus,  the  larvoe  of  which 
undergo  their  transformation  in  various  substances,  both  animal 
and  vegetable.  These  substances  are  generally  in  a  more  or  less 
decaying  state,  but  there  are  some  species  which  make  their 
larval  home  in  the  roots  of  different  plants,  the  radish  and  the 
onion  being  particularly  favoured  by  them. 

The  last-mentioned  insect,  Anthowyia  ceparum,  lays  her 
eggs  close  to  the  ground,  sheltered  by  the  leaf-sheatli.  Thus 
protected,  the  larva  is  soon  hatched,  burrows  downwards  into 
the  very  heart  of  the  balb,  and  very  effectually  destroys  it.  Then 
there  is  the  Lettuce-fly  (Anthomyia  laducce),  whicli  burrows 
into  the  heart  of  the  lettuce,  as  it  is  tied  up  for  the  purpose 
of  blanching  the  leaves  :  and  the  Cabbage-fly  {Anthomyia 
brassicce),  which  performs  a  similar  task  with  regard  to  the 
cabbage,  choosing  for  its  depredations  the  junction  of  the 
stem  and  leaves. 

The  second  species  on  Woodcut  LXXIV.  is  called  Musca 
chlons,  and  the  two  are  introduced  so  as  to  show  the  construc- 
tion of  the  most  conspicuous  parts  of  these  insects. 

On  account  of  its  colour,  this  insect  is  sometimes  called  the 
Green-bottle,  in  contradistinction  to  the  -Blue-bottle.  Its 
colour  is  bright  shining  green,  slightly  inclining  to  blue,  or 
taking  a  golden  gloss.  There  is  a  black  stripe  upon  the  crown  of 
the  head.  The  eyes  are  brownish-red,  and  are  divided  in  the 
female  by  a  broad  band,  and  in  the  males  by  a  narrow  one. 
The  name  chloris  is  Greek,  and  signifies  green.  The  insect 
is  tolerably  common,  and  is  very  active  and  quick  on  the  wing, 
so  that  it  is  not  easily  caught. 

Fig.  a  shows  the  antenna  of  Anthomyia,  the  very  long  and 
almost  cylindrical  third  joint  being  armed  with  a  feathered 
bristle.  Fig.  c  shows  in  outline  five  of  the  facets  which  go  to 
make  up  the  compound  eye  of  the  insect.  If  dissected,  this 
is  shown  to  be  a  very  wonderful  structure,  each  of  the  facets  being 
then  seen  to  be  the  termination  of  a  separate  eye.  Every 
one  of  these  facets  is  set,  so  to  speak,  in  a  frame,  which  is, 
for  the  most  part,  hexagonal,  like  a  honeycomb,  but  at  the 


THE   HOUSE-FLY.  631 

edges  becomes  either  pentagonal  or  even  square.  It  consists  of 
a  conical  transparent  body,  called  the  cone,  which  is  set  in  a  layer 
of  dark  red  pigment.  If  a  fly  be  cruslied,  this  pigment  escapes, 
and  looks  just  like  blood.  Then  follows  the  'rod,'  a  delicate 
fibre  which  connects  the  cone  with  nerve-centres  in  the  head. 

The  whole  of  this  structure  has  been  thoroughly  worked  out 
by  Mr.  B.  T.  Lowne  in  his  valuable  monograph  on  '  The 
Anatomy  and  Physiology  of  the  Blow-Fly,'  a  work  which  every 
entomologist  ought  to  possess,  as  the  information  which  it 
gives  does  not  merely  relate  to  the  particular  insect  of  which 
the  author  treats,  but  explains  the  structure  of  various  other 
insects.  Having  myself  dissected  great  numbers  of  Blow-Flies, 
I  am  qualified  to  express  an  opinion  on  the  subject,  and  to 
appreciate  the  careful  pains  and  labour  that  the  author  has 
bestowed  upon  his  investigations. 

At  Fig.  b  is  given  an  outline  drawing  of  the  foot,  with  its 
two  pads.  The  structure  of  this  member  has  already  been 
described,  so  that  we  need  not  refer  to  it  again.  At  Fig.  e  is 
given  a  side  view  of  the  proboscis,  showing  its  right  lobe. 
This  instrument  forms  a  most  beautiful  object  in  the  micro- 
scope. The  two  lobes  are  then  seen  to  be  traversed  by  a 
number  of  air-tubes  of  a  rather  peculiar  structure,  all  radiating 
from  two  principal  tubes,  one  to  each  lobe. 

Generally  the  air-tubes  or  trachese  of  insects  are  kept  in 
shape  by  a  spiral  thread  between  the  two  layers  of  which, 
they  are  composed,  but  in  the  air-tubes  of  the  proboscis  the 
place  of  the  spiral  thread  is  taken  by  a  number  of  incomplete 
rings,  called  false  tracheae.  These  incomplete  rings  look  some- 
thing like  the  ancient  torque,  or,  to  speak  more  familiarly,  like 
a  horse-shoe.  The  open  part  of  each  ring  is  downward,  and 
the  result  of  this  structure  is  that  they  form  a  sort  of  strainer 
through  which  the  liquid  portions  of  their  food  are  passed. 
The  shape  of  this  curious  organ  is  greatly  varied,  and  although 
the  proboscis  of  every  Fly  agrees  in  the  principles  of  its 
construction,  there  are  not  any  two  species  which  have  it 
exactly  alike. 

At  Fig.  1  of  Woodcut  LXXV.  is  shown  the  common  House- 
Fly  {Musca  domestica),  slightly  magnified.  In  all  the  insects 
belonging  to  this  genus,  the   transformation  is  conducted  in 


632  INSECTS   AT  HOME. 

mucli  the  same  manner.  When  the  larva  is  full-fed,  the  skiu 
hardens  into  an  oval  cocoon,  and  the  pupa  is  thus  developed 
within  its  original  larval  skin. 

To  this  enormous  group  belongs  the  Blow-Fly  or  Blue-bottle 
{Musca  vomitoria\vih\ch.  is  so  very  familiar  in  our  houses,  and 
is  so  apt  to  deposit  its  eggs  upon  meat  that  even  approaches 
decomposition.  Here  I  may  mention  that  the  oval  meat-safes, 
like  dish-covers,  which  are  so  largely  sold  for  the  purpose  of 
keeping  the  Blow-Flies  from  the  meat,  do  entirely  exclude  the 
Flies,  but  they  do  not  exclude  the  eggs,  so  that  the  cook  who 
has  covered  the  meat  carefully  with  one  of  these  safes,  often 
finds  that,  in  spite  of  her  precautions,  the  meat  is  as '  fly-blown ' 
as  if  it  had  been  totally  exposed  to  the  Blue-bottles.  The  fact 
is,  when  the  mother  insect  finds  that  she  cannot  gain  actual 
access  to  the  meat,  she  goes  to  the  top  of  the  cover,  and  lets 
her  eggs  drop  through  the  meshes  of  the  wire  gauze. 

Then  there  is  another  insect,  popularly  called  the  Flesh-Fly 
or  the  Baker  {Musca  or  Sarcophaga  carnaria\  which  proceeds 
in  a  different  and  more  expeditious  way.  With  the  Blue-bottle 
the  eggs  have  to  be  hatched  after  they  are  deposited,  but  with 
the  Flesh-Fly  they  are  deposited  as  maggots,  being  hatched 
within  the  body  of  the  parent.  If  the  female  be  dissected 
before  she  has  deposited  her  young,  a  most  curious  spectacle  is 
disclosed.  The  abdomen  is  almost  entirely  filled  with  two 
white  rolls,  like  riband,  and  when  these  rolls  are  examined 
with  the  microscope,  they  are  seen  to  consist  of  a  vast  number 
of  tiny  maggots,  placed  side  by  side  in  perfect  order.  Each  of 
these  rolls  contains  from  eight  to  ten  thousand  larvae ;  and  the 
reader  may  easily  imagine  how  rapid  is  the  demolition  of  the 
substances  on  which  one  of  these  Flies  deposits  her  multi- 
tudinous young. 

It  was  to  this  species  that  Linnaeus  referred  when  he  wrote 
the  apparent  paradox  that  three  Flies  could  eat  an  ox  as  fast  as 
a  lion.  The  Fly  does  not  even  wait  for  decomposition,  or  at 
all  events  can  detect  incipient  decomposition  long  before  it  is 
apparent  to  the  human  senses  ;  for  I  have  often  found  that  if  a 
recently-killed  mouse  or  bird  be  allowed  to  lie  in  any  exposed 
place  for  an  hour  or  two,  vast  numbers  of  these  tiny  larvae  will 
be  deposited  upon  it,  the  mother  Fly  having  taken  the  pre- 
caution to  place  them  under  the  wings,  in  the  mouth,  at  the 


THE  COW-DUNG  FLIES. 


633 


junction  of  the  legs  with  the  body,  or,  if  the  creature  be  lying  on 
the  ground,  upon  the  surface  of  the  body  that  is  next  to  the  earth. 
This  is  not  the  only  Ply  that  deposits  its  young  in  this 
curious  manner,  but  I  have  selected  the  best  known  species  as 
an  example  of  the  group. 

On  Woodcut   LXXV.,    at    Figs.    2  and  3,    are   shown  two 
species  of  the  well-known  Dung-Flies,  of  which  the  common 


1.  Musca  domestica.  2.  Scatophaga  scybalaria. 

a.  Scatophaga  scybalaria,  antenna. 


3.  Scatophaga  stercoraria. 
b.  Do.,  tongue. 


Cow-Du^TG  Fly  {Scatophctga  stercoraria)  is  the  most  plentiful. 
In  this  genus  the  last  joint  of  the  antenna  is  rather  long,  the 
head  is  spherical,  and  the  body  covered  with  stiff  hairs.  These 
Flies  may  always  be  found  in  fields  frequented  by  cows,  as  it  is 
upon  the  dung  of  these  animals  that  the  larvffi  are  fed. 

The  most  remarkable  point  in  the  economy  of  these  insects 
is  the   development  of  the  e'^g;.     It  is  necessary  for  the  due 


634  INSECTS  AT  HOIVIE. 

hatching  of  the  young  that  the  egg  should  be  kept  in  a  state 
of  moisture  as  well  as  warmth,  and  this  point  is  secured  by 
depositing  the  egg  in  the  recent  cow-dung.  This,  however,  is 
not  all.  If  the  egg  becomes  dry,  it  shrivels  up  and  the  young 
maggot  is  never  hatched,  while,  if  it  should  sink  entirely, 
it  is  drowned,  so  to  speak,  the  egg  requiring  air  as  well  as 
moisture. 

This  object  is  attained  in  a  very  simple  but  effective  manner. 
The  egg  is  shaped  something  like  that  of  the  domestic  fowl, 
being  larger  at  one  end  than  at  the  other.  At  the  large  end, 
two  horn-like  appendages  project  from  the  egg  and  diverge 
from  each  other,  their  roots  being  about  one-third  of  the 
length  of  the  egg  from  the  upper  part,  so  that  the  egg  cannot 
sink  deeper  than  the  horns.  When  the  time  comes  for  the 
hatching  of  the  larva,  the  egg  opens  at  the  wide  end,  and  the 
young  grub  escapes  through  the  opening.  These  eggs  may  be 
found  in  plenty,  more  than  a  hundred  being  stuck  into  a  space 
scarcely  wider  than  a  man's  hand.  The  larva  is  conical  in 
shape,  thf^  head  being  at  the  apex  of  the  cone,  and  the  broadest 
or  tail  end  being  armed  with  a  number  of  little  fleshy  points. 

The  common  yellow  Cow-dung  Fly  is  too  well  known  to  need 
description.  The  other  species,  Scatophaga  scybalaria,  which 
is  shown  at  Fig.  2,  is  orange-ochreous  in  colour,  but  through 
the  soft  yellow  hair  a  number  of  black  bristles  protrude.  The 
thorax  and  scutellum  are  brownish,  and  the  first  segment  of  the 
abdomen  is  ashen-grey.  The  wings  are  slightly  iridescent  and 
brown,  inclining  to  orange  on  the  costal  margin.  The  tips  of 
the  thighs  of  the  hind  legs  are  black. 

On  Woodcut  LXXVI.  Fig.  1  is  a  magnified  representation  of 
a  little  Fly  called  Phora  ahdominalis.  In  this  genus  the 
third  joint  of  the  antennae,  instead  of  being  long  and  nearly 
cylindrical,  is  almost  spherical.  The  margin  of  the  wings  is 
fringed.  The  name  of  ahdoviinalis  is  given  to  this  species  on 
account  of  the  form  of  the  abdomen,  which  is  broad  at  the  base 
and  tapers  rapidly  to  the  tip.  One  of  the  hind  legs  is  shown  at 
Fig.  b,  and  a  profile  view  of  the  head  is  given  at  Fig.  a. 

The  colour  of  this  species  is  glossy  black,  and  the  head  is 
irregularly  and  coarsely  pimctured.  The  palpi  are  orange. 
The  thorax  is  downy,  the  abdomen  rust-red,  and  the  wings 


THE  EOT-FLIES. 


635 


yellowish,  with  brown  nervures.     Some  of  these  insects  were 
patched  from  larvce  found  attached  to  the  pupae  of  ladybirds. ' 

The  larvae  of  these  Flies  are  found  to  feed  on  various 
substances,  some  being  believed  to  be  parasitic  on  other  larvae, 
and  others  having  been  observed  to  feed  on  vegetable  sub- 
stances.    For  example,  the  larva  of  one  species,  Phone  dauci, 

LXXVl 


1.  Phora  abdominalis.  2.  Omithoniyia  fringillaria.         a.  Phora  abdominalis  :  head, 

side  view.         b.  Do.,  leg.         c.  Oriiithomyia  fringillaria,  leg.         d.  Do.,  maxilla. 


was  seen  to  feed  upon  the  interior  of  decaying  radish-roots. 
The  larva  is  nearly  cylindrical  in  shape,  but  is  slightly  nar- 
rowed in  front.  The  last  segment  of  the  body  has  eight 
radiating  points,  like  those  of  the  one  or  two  larvae  which  have 
been  described,  and  there  are  also  two  spiracles  on  the  same 
segment. 

We  now  come  to   the  small   but  important  family   of  the 
CEstridae,  popularly  known  as  Bot-Flies.     In  these  insects  the 


C36  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

parts  of  the  mouth  are  quite  undeveloped,  the  whole  of  the 
structures  being  represented  by  two  or  three  little  tubercles. 
In  the  perfect  state,  therefore,  these  Flies  are  quite  harm- 
less, but  in  their  larval  condition  they  are  hurtful  to  various 
animals.  In  fact,  all  our  cattle  are  attacked  by  these  insects, 
which  are  parasitic  upon  or  in  them,  and  not  even  the  thick- 
skinned  camel  and  rhinoceros  are  exempt  from  them. 

One  of  these  insects,  the  common  Bot-fly  {Gasterophilua 
equi)  is  shown  on  Plate  XX.  Fig.  3.  Its  Life  history  is  briefly 
as  follows : — 

The  mother  insect  flies  about  a  horse,  and  with  its  ovipo- 
sitor places  an  egg  on  the  hair  of  some  part  which  the  horse  is 
sure  to  lick.  The  egg  is  thus  taken  up  by  the  tongue  and  con- 
veyed into  the  stomach,  where  it  is  hatched.  The  larva  then 
attaches  itself  to  the  inner  membrane  of  the  stomach,  and 
appears  to  feed  upon  the  secretions. 

The  number  of  these  larvae  which  will  inhabit  the  stomach 
of  the  horse  is  really  wonderful.  I  have  seen  the  interior  of  that 
organ  so  covered  with  them  that  the  surface  of  the  stomach 
was  completely  hidden  by  their  depending  bodies.  In  form 
they  are  nearly  cylindrical,  but  the  body  is  suddenly  narrowed 
towards  the  head,  which  is  armed  with  a  number  of  little 
hooks,  by  which  the  grub  attaches  itself  to  the  interior  of  the 
stomach.  They  remain  within  the  stomach  of  the  horse 
throughout  the  winter,  and  in  the  spring  they  are  full-fed  and 
loosen  their  hold  of  the  stomach.  They  are  then  carried 
through  the  intestines  and  fall  to  the  ground,  into  which  they 
at  once  burrow  and  there  assume  their  pupal  form.  The  pro- 
cess of  transformation  Itists  about  three  weeks,  and  at  the 
expiration  of  that  time  the  perfect  fly  appears. 

Opinions  are  greatly  divided  as  to  the  effect  produced  on  the 
horse  by  these  larvae.  Some  of  our  best  authorities,  Mr. 
Youatt  among  the  number,  believe  that  they  do  no  harm, 
while  some  go  so  far  as  to  think  that  their  presence  is  bene- 
ficial. I  cannot  but  think,  however,  that  as  these  larvae  derive 
all  their  nourishment  from  substances  within  the  stomach  of  the 
horse,  they  must  abstract  a  corresponding  amount  from  the 
nourishment  of  the  horse,  and  that,  whether  they  cause  incon- 
venience or  not  to  the  animal,  their  presence  must  be  in  some 
way  hurtful  to  it. 


THE   BREEZE-FLIES.  637 

The  generic  name  Gasteropliilus  is  formed  from  two  Greek 
words,  and  signifies  '  belly-loving.'  It  has  been  gi^en  to  the 
insect  in  consequence  of  the  habits  of  the  larvae.  It  is  rather 
a  pretty  insect,  and  has  some  resemblance  to  an  Andrena. 
The  .thorax  is  black,  partly  covered  with  warm  chestnut  down, 
and  the  abdomen  is  alternately  banded  with  ruddy  chestnut 
and  black.     The  wings  are  slightly  clouded  with  brown. 

There  are  several  other  insects  belonging  to  this  family, 
each  of  which  selects  some  particular  animal  for  its  home. 

There  is,  for  example,  the  Wdrble  Breeze-fly,  or  Gad-fly 
{(Estriis  bovis),  the  economy  of  which  is  Very  remarkable,  the 
creature  seeming  to  produce  much  the  same  effect  upon  the  ox 
that  the  gall-flies  do  upon  plants.  Instead  of  being  taken  into 
the  stomach  of  the  animal,  as  is  the  case  with  the  last-mentioned 
species,  this  species  never  penetrates  further  than  the  skin. 

Into  the  skin  the  larva  burrows  as  soon  as  hatched,  and  it  is 
remarkable  that  the  female  insect  takes  as  much  care  to  place 
the  egg  on  the  back  where  the  tongue  of  the  ox  cannot  reach 
it,  as  the  Bot-fly  to  place  the  egg  where  the  tongue  of  the 
horse  has  easy  access  to  it.  Beneath,  or  rather  in,  the  thick- 
ness of  the  skin,  the  larva  makes  its  residence,  its  head  being 
downwards  and  its  wide  tail  upwards,  so  as  to  receive  air  into 
the  two  spiracles  which  are  there  placed.  The  habitation  of 
the  Wurble,  as  the  grub  is  called,  is  made  evident  by  a  small 
swelling,  in  the  upper  part  of  which  is  an  opening  through 
which  the  tail  end  of  the  larva  can  be  seen. 

When  it  is  full-fed,  the  larva  retrogrades  out  of  its  habita- 
tion and  falls  to  the  earth.  No  sooner  is  it  fairly  on  the 
ground  than  it  begins  to  burrow,  and  then  undergoes  its  trans- 
formations underground,  exactly  as  has  been  stated  of  the 
Bot-fly.  The  colour  of  this  species  is  brownish,  the  base  of  the 
abdomen  is  covered  with  grey  down,  and  the  rest  is  ruddy 
chestnut. 

Then  there  is  the  Sheep-fly  {(Estrus  ovis),  a  smaller,  greyer, 
and  more  slender  species.  The  female  of  this  insect  selects 
the  nostril  of  the  sheep  as  the  place  whereon  she  is  about  to 
deposit  her  eggs.  The  sheep  are  very  much  afraid  of  this 
insect,  and  do  all  in  their  power  to  rid  themselves  of  their 


038  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

enemy,  rubbing  their  noses  against  the  ground,  shaking  their 
heads,  aucf  rushing  about  in  all  directions.  Their  exertions  are, 
however,  useless.  Sooner  or  later,  the  fly  succeeds  in  depositing 
her  eggs  just  inside  the  nostril,  and  there  leaves  them.  They 
are  soon  hatched,  and  then  the  young  larva,  which  is  furnished 
with  hooked  appendages  to  its  head,  crawls  up  the  nostril,  and 
fixes  itself  in  the  frontal  sinus.  Its  life  then  much  resembles 
that  of  the  other  insects  of  the  family. 

Antelopes  are  known  to  be  specially  subject  to  the  attacks  of 
the  Gad  Fly,  and  all  African  hunters  say  that  the  head  of  the 
gnu  is  never  found  to  be  without  at  least  one  Gad  Fly  grub  in 
the  frontal  sinus. 

We  now  come  to  the  last  great  division  of  the  Diptera,  the 
Thoracocephala,  or  those  insects  whose  heads  are  sunk  in  the 
thorax.  Like  the  preceding  insects,  they  are  all  parasitic,  but 
they  differ  in  many  points  from  them.  In  the  first  place, 
there  is  the  position  of  the  head,  to  which  reference  has  just 
been  made,  and  besides,  the  antennae  are  differently  arranged, 
and  the  mode  of  transformation  is  different.  In  consequence 
of  these  peculiarities,  it  has  been  thought  by  several  eminent 
entomologists  that  these  insects  ought  not  to  be  ranked  with 
the  Diptera,  but  to  be  constituted  into  a  separate  order,  to 
which  the  name  of  Homaloptera  was  given.  It  has  now,  how- 
ever, been  decided  that  they  really  are  Diptera,  though  they 
form  a  very  divergent  branch  of  that  great  order. 

They  are  divided  into  two  families,  the  first  of  which  is 
named  Hippoboscidae.  This  term  is  composed  of  two  Greek 
words,  the  former  signifying  a  horse,  and  the  latter,  to  feed 
upon.  How  thoroughly  appropriate  is  the  word,  anyone  can 
tell  who  has  driven  or  ridden  a  horse  when  the  Flies  are 
about.  They  are  very  active  on  foot,  and  can  run  sideways  as 
fast  as  they  can  forward,  burying  themselves  among  the  hair 
or  feathers  of  the  creature  which  they  attack.  In  some  of  the 
insects  the  wings  are  entirely  wanting,  as  is  the  case  with  the 
very  common  Sheep-Tick  [Melophagus  ovinus).  I  need 
scarcely  say  that  the  name  is  entirely  a  wrong  one,  inasmuch 
as  the  Sheep-tick  is  an  insect,  and  the  true  ticks  belong  to 
quite  a  different  class  of  beings.  This,  being  very  plentiful, 
will  serve  as  an  excellent  example  of  the  Hippoboscidae.     It 


THE   SIIEEP-TICK.  639 

can  be  found  without  difficulty  upon  almost  any  sheep  ;  but  to 
get  it  away  without  damagino-  it  is  not  a  very  easy  task,  the 
hooked  and  powerful  legs  grasping  the  wool  as  if  with  six  pairs 
of  pincers,  and  the  insect  pushing  its  way  deeper  and  deeper 
in  the  fleece  as  it  thinks  itself  in  danger.  While  thus  engaged 
in  evading  the  pursuer,  the  Sheep- tick  looks  so  very  much  like 
a  spider  that  the  French  call  it  the  Spider  Fly. 

The  whole  structure  of  the  head  and  beak  of  this  insect  is 
very  remarkable,  and  it  is  not  very  easy  to  trace  the  analysis  of 
the  various  parts  of  the  mouth.  If  one  of  these  insects  be 
examined  with  a  microscope,  the  front  of  the  head  is  seen  to 
be  furnished  with  two  rather  long,  curved,  pointed,  horny 
plates,  covered  with  bristles,  between  which  lie  the  setse  or 
piercing  organs.  Mr.  Westwood  tliinks  that  these  instruments 
are  intended  for  the  purpose  of  pushing  away  the  hair  of  the 
animal  on  which  the  Fly  is  feeding,  so  that  the  setae  may 
penetrate  the  more  deeply  into  the  skin. 

It  is  evident  that  these  projecting  horny  processes  would  be 
very  much  in  the  way  of  the  Sheep-tick  when  it  travels  to  and 
fro  through  the  wool.  If,  however,  the  insect  be  turned  over, 
so  that  the  under  surface  can  be  seen,  the  mode  in  which  this 
difficulty  is  overcome  is  at  once  evident.  On  the  under  surface 
of  the  thorax  there  is  a  deep  pit,  extending  beyond  the  fore- 
legs as  far  as  the  base  of  the  middle  pair  of  legs.  When  the 
head  is  bent  downwards,  the  two  horny  projections,  together 
with  the  piercing  and  sucking  apparatus  of  the  mouth,  are 
sunk  completely  into  the  pit,  so  that  nothing  is  presented  to 
the  wool  but  a  perfectly  smooth  and  shining  surface  which  can 
easily  glide  between  the  fibres. 

The  colour  of  the  Sheep-tick  is  yellow-brown,  and  the  thorax 
and  limbs  are  polished  and  granulated.  The  legs  are  re- 
markably strong,  and  the  claws  are  jet-black  and  shining. 
In  shape  they  very  much  resemble  the  incurved  claws  of  the 
sloth,  and  the  analogy  between  them  is  carried  out  in  their 
action  as  well  as  in  their  form.  Just  as  the  hooked  claws  of 
the  sloth  enable  it  to  raove  with  great  activity  among  the 
branches,  swinging  itself  from  bough  to  bough  as  easily  as  does 
a  monkey,  so  do  the  similar  claws  of  the  Sheep-tick  enable 
the  insect  to  traverse  the  thick  wool,  among  the   fibres   of 


G40  INSECTS  AT  HOME. 

which  it  travels  with  a  vapidity  that  seems  scarcely  possible  in 
such  a  locality. 

I  never  saw  a  sloth  on  a  level  or  smooth  surface,  but  it  is 
well-known  that  the  long  and  curved  claws  which  are  so  useful 
among  the  branches,  are  absolutely  impediments  when  the 
creature  is  on  flat  and  hard  ground  on  which  its  claws  have  no 
hold.  Similarly,  I  find  that  whereas  the  common  Flies  can- 
move  about  actively  enough  on  glass,  even  though  it  be 
upright,  the  Sheep-tick  is  quite  at  a  loss  when  placed  on  a 
plate  or  any  similarly  smooth  substance.  Under  such  circum- 
stances it  moves  its  legs  with  great  rapidity,  but  does  not  suc- 
ceed in  making  much  progress,  and  the  unwonted  effect  of  its 
exertions  seems  to  throw  it  into  quite  a  fever  of  fright  and 
anxiety. 

This  is  one  of  the  wingless  species.  It  is  so  completely 
without  wings  that  even  the  practised  eye  of  the  entomologist, 
aided  by  the  microscope,  can  hardly  detect  the  undeveloped 
rudiments  of  these  organs.  The  insect,  indeed,  seems  to  be 
nothing  but  legs  and  abdomen,  the  latter  being  nearly  flat  and 
round,  this  shape  being  intended  to  serve  a  purpose  which  will 
presently  be  described. 

On  Woodcut  LXXVI.  Fig.  2  is  given  a  figure  of  the  Finch 
Fly  ( Ornithomyia  fringillaria). 

On  the  right  hand  of  the  Fly,  and  at  Fig.  d,  is  drawn  the 
under  part  of  the  head,  so  as  to  show  the  horny  projections 
which  have  already  been  mentioned  in  the  description  of  the 
Sheep-tick.  Mr.  Kirby  remarks  that  he  has  himself  suffered 
from  the  attacks  of  one  of  the  Ornithomyise,  which  would 
persist  in  alighting  on  his  head,  and  driving  their  beaks  into  his 
skin.  He  succeeded  in  catching  two  specimens,  and  found 
them  to  be  Ornithomyia  avicularia. 

The  colour  of  our  present  species  is  ochreous,  changing  in 
some  lights  to  green.  The  head  and  thorax  are  shining 
yellow  mottled  with  brown,  and  having  a  faint  line  down  the 
middle  of  the  back.  The  abdomen  is  dull  green  and  hairy, 
the  legs  are  bright  green,  and  the  claws  jet  black.  The  wings 
are  iridescent  and  smoky.  This  is  the  smallest  species  of  its 
genus,  and  it  is  found  on  various  small  birds,  such  as  the  tit- 
mouse, the  yellow-hammer,  and  the  robin. 


THE  HORSE-FLY. 


641 


On  Woodcut  LXXVII.  Fig.  1  is  shown  the  insect  which  has 
been  accepted  as  the  type  of  its  family.  This  is  the  too  fami- 
liar HoRSE-FLT  {Hippobosca  equina). 

This  very  plentiful  and  very  unpleasant  insect  is  an  absolujbe 
pest  to  those  who  have  to  deal  with  spirited  horses,  especially 
when  passing  through  woods.     The  Flies  settle  in  numbers  on 

LXXVII 


1.  Hippobosca  equina.  2.  Stenopteryx  hirundinis.  a.  Hippobosca  equina,  antenna. 

6.  Do.,  maxilla.  c.  Do.,  fore-leg.  d.  Stenopteryx  hirundinis,  fore-leg.  e.  Do.,  lip  and 
tongue.       /.  Do.,  antenna. 

the  animal,  and  cling  so  tightly  with  their  hooked  claws  that 
they  cannot  be  shaken  off  by  any  efforts  of  the  aggrieved 
quadruped.  They  cluster  round  its  eyes,  get  behind  its  ears, 
under  the  belly,  and,  if  they  can,  creep  under  the  tail.  All 
the  angry  lashings  of  that  organ  do  not  in  the  least  affect  their 
flat  and  tough  bodies,  and  the  repeated  pricks  of  their  sharp 
beaks  sometimes  irritate  a  sensitive  horse  to  such  a  degree  that 
it  runs  away,  in  the  vain  hope  of  escaping  its  persecutors. 

T  T 


642  INSECTS  AT   HOilE. 

The  life  history  of  this  insect  is  very  remarkable. 

Fortunately  for  horses,  the  Horse  Fly  is  anything  but  pro- 
lific, producing  its  young  in  a  mode  which  is,  I  believe,  con- 
fined to  insects  of  this  gr(5up.  The  mother  Horse  Fly  never 
lays  more  than  one  egg,  but  then  that  egg  is  a  phenomenon. 
In  truth,  it  ought  not  to  be  called  an  egg,  having  no  more 
right  to  that  title  than  the  so-called  '  ants'  eggs '  which  have 
already  been  described.  The  reader  may  remember  that  tlie 
eggs  of  certain  Flies  are  hatched  in  the  body  of  the  jmrent, 
so  that  they  are  deposited  in  the  larval  and  not  the  egg  state. 
The  Hippobosca  goes  a  step  further.  The  egg,  as  it  appears  to 
be,  is  no  egg  at  all,  but  the  skin  of  the  larva,  within  which 
the  pupa  is  formed,  so  that  the  young  Hippobosca  is  already  a 
pupa  when  it  enters  the  world. 

When  first  produced,  the  puparium  (to  use  the  scientific 
term)  is  white ;  but  it  soon  darkens,  and  becomes  quite  hard 
and  tough.  If  it  be  opened  carefully,  within  it  may  be  found 
the  pupa,  an  odd-looking,  crab-like  being,  with  the  legs  tightly 
folded  over  the  body.  When  the  time  comes  for  the  assump- 
tion of  the  perfect  state,  it  throws  off  the  pupal  skin,  which  it 
leaves  within  the  puparium,  pushes  off  the  end  of  the  case  in 
which  it  had  resided,  and  emerges  as  a  perfect  insect. 

The  chief  points  in  the  external  anatomy  of  this  insect  are 
given  on  the  same  Woodcut.  Fig.  a  represents  one  of  the 
antennse  separated  from  the  head.  Fig.  b  is  the  part  of  the 
mouth  containing  the  diverging  horns  which  have  already  been 
mentioned,  and  Fig.  c  represents  one  of  the  fore-legs,  wath  its 
very  powerful  thigh,  and  its  black,  incurved  claws. 

At  Fig.  2  of  the  same  Woodcut  is  seen  the  Swallow  Flt 
{Stenopteryx  hirundinis),  so  called  because  it  is  found  almost 
exclusively  on  the  swallow  tribe.  The  generic  name  is  formed 
from  two  Grreek  words  signifying  '  narrow-winged,'  and  is  very 
appropriate,  as  may  be  seen  by  reference  to  the  illustration. 

Mr.  Kirby  mentions  that  this  Fly  sometimes  attacks  human 
beings : — '  One  found  its  way  into  the  bed  of  the  Eev.  E. 
Sheppard,  where  it  first,  for  several  nights,  sorely  annoyed  a 
friend  of  his,  and  afterwards  himself,  without  their  suspecting 
the  culprit.  After  a  close  search,  however,  it  was  discovered, 
in  the  form  of  this   Fly,   which,    forsaking  the  nest    of  the 


THE  BIRD-FLIES.  643 

swallow,  had  by  some  chance  taken  its  station  between  the 
sheets,  and  thus  glutted  itself  with  the  blood  of  man.' 

Mr.  Shejipard  remarks,  as  a  reason  for  this  dereliction  of 
their  appropriate  food,  that  no  sooner  does  life  depart  from  the 
bird  that  these  Flies  infest,  than  they  immediately  desert  it 
and  take  flight,  alighting  upon  the  first  living  creature  that 
they  meet  with  ;  which,  if  it  be  not  a  bird,  they  soon  quit, 
but,  as  it  should  seem  from  the  above  facts,  not  until  they 
have  made  a  trial  how  it  will  suit  them  as  food.' 

The  fore-leg'  of  this  insect  is  shown  at  Fig.  d,  the  lip  and 
tongue  at  e,  and  the  antenna  at  /.  These  organs  should  be 
compared  with  those  of  the  previously  described  insects,  as  by 
their  means  identification  becomes  easy. 

The  generic  name  of  the  insect  represented  on  Woodcut 
LXXVIII.  Fig.  1  is  formed  from  two  Grreek  words,  signifying 
'  blood-devourer,'  and  is  very  appropriate.  Its  scientific  name 
is  Hccmobora  pallipes.  I  believe  it  is  not  common  enough  to 
have  any  popular  name. 

The  general  colour  of  this  insect  is  shining  greenish-yellow, 
clouded  with  brown.  The  eyes  and  claws  are  black.  Beneath, 
the  thorax  is  boldly  punctured,  and  covered  with  short  and 
strong  hairs.  The  wings  are  nearly  transparent,  with  yellow 
nervures,  and  slightly  ciliated  on  the  costal  margin.  The 
insect  is  found  in  the  New  Forest,  attacking  indiscriminately 
any  kind  of  quadruped. 

The  points  in  which  this  insect  differs  from  those  which  have 
hitherto  been  described  are  shown  in  the  illustration.  Fig.  a 
gives  the  front  view  of  its  head,  which,  as  will  at  once  be  seen, 
is  very  dififerent  from  that  of  the  other  Hippoboscidae.  The 
wings,  too,  are  very  much  larger  in  proportion,  and  have  a  few 
ver  distinct  nervures.  The  antenna  is  featliered,  and  tlie 
fore-leg,  as  shown  at  6,  is  short  and  strong.  The  peculiar  form 
of  the  mentum,  with  its  array  of  bristles,  is  showai  at  c. 

The  second  family  of  this  group,  or  Nycteribiidge,  has  the 
head  very  small  and  set  on  the  back  or  upper  part  of  the 
thorax,  and  it  cannot  be  bent  down  into  a  cavity  of  the  under 
surface  of  the  thorax,  as  is  the  case  with  the  preceding  insect. 
They  are  without  wings,  but  Mr.  \\^estwood  thinks  that  a  pair 

T  T  2 


644 


INSECTS  AT  HOME. 


of  curious  little  organs,  like  semi-circular  combs,  which  are 
at  the  base  of  the  intermediate  legs,  are  the  representatives  of 
wings.  The  thorax  is  flat,  and  seems  to  be  made  almost 
entirely  of  the  first  joints  of  the  legs,  which  are  very  long  in 
proportion  to  the  size  of  the  body. 

There  is  a  peculiarity  in  the  legs  of  these  insects  which  is 
worthy   of  notice.     The  basal  joint  of  the  tarsus,  instead  of 

LXXVIII 


1.  Hjemobora  pallipe3.  2.  Nycteribia  Latreilli. 

b.  Do.,  leg.         c.  Do.,  mentutn.         d.  Nycteribia,  leg. 


a.  Haemobora,  front  view. 
e.  Do.,  head,  side  view. 


being  small  and  short,  as  is  usually  the  case,  is  very  long,  and 
in  fact,  though  not  so  thick,  is  quite  as  long  as  the  tibia  itself. 
Indeed,  were  it  separated  from  the  rest  of  the  limb,  it  would  be 
certainly  mistaken  for  the  tibia.  The  claws,  too,  are  so  large 
that  they  remind  the  observer  of  the  sting  of  the  scorpion. 
One  of  the  legs  is  shown  at  Fig.  d  of  Woodcut  LXXVIII. 

On  Woodcut  LXXVIII.  is  shown  the  insect  popularly  called 
the  Bat-Louse,  because  it  is  never  found  except  on  the  bat.  The 


THE  BAT-LOUSE.  645 

name,  though,  is  quite  as  inappropriate  as  that  of  the  Wood- 
Louse,  both  words  signifying  creatures  which  belong  to  different 
classes  in  the  animal  kingdom.  Its  colour  is  ochreous  and 
shining.  The  hinder  part  of  the  thorax  is  deeply  waved,  and 
it  is  punctured  beneath,  with  a  channel  down  the  centre.  The 
abdomen  is  ochreous  brown,  and  the  legs  are  covered  with  hair, 
the  tibiae  being  very  broad  and  fiat.  It  is  plentiful  on  the  com- 
mon Bat  (  Vespertilio  murinus),  so  that  tliere  is  no  difficulty  in 
procuring  this  curious  insect.  If  a  bat  be  killed,  and  taken  into 
the  hand,  the  Nycteribise  immediately  crawl  from  beneath  the 
hairs  of  the  dead  animal,  and  crowd  upon  the  hand  of  the  holder. 
As  long  as  the  animal  is  alive  they  remain  upon  it,  but  no  sooner 
is  the  life  extinct  than  the  Nycteribise  desert  it,  and  fasten  upon 
the  first  living  being  that  they  can  find,  just  as  has  been  related 
of  the  Bird  Flies.  In  some  mysterious  manner  they  know  at 
once  that  the  life,  which  constitutes  their  home,  has  fled,  and 
they  at  once  desert  the  empty  tenement. 


OuK  task  is  now  ended,  and  all  that  remains  is  to  see  how  to 
prepare — or  '  set,'  as  is  the  technical  term — insects  which  are 
taken  as  specimens  for  the  cabinet.  On  Fig.  1  of  the  accom- 
panying illustration,  the  little  black  dot  shows  the  spot  at 
which  the  pin  ought  to  be  inserted  in  all  Beetles  that  are  more 
than  a  quarter  of  an  inch  in  length.  Even  those  of  smaller 
size  can  be  thus  treated,  provided  that  the  entomologist  use 
one  of  the  fine  pins  which  are  employed  for  this  special 
purpose,  and  can  be  obtained  at  any  of  the  naturalists'  shops. 

The  best  pins  are  gilt,  so  as  to  prevent  them  from  producing 
that  abominable  green  verdigris  which  is  almost  invariably  to 
be  found  springing  from  the  spot  where  the  pin  pierces  the 
insect,  and  which  so  often  covers  and  spoils  the  insect  itself. 
Beetles  of  smaller  size  should  be  set  on  little  strips  of  white 
card-board,  some  transparent  cement  being  used  for  the  purpose. 
In  this  case,  one  specimen  at  least  should  be  set  on  its  back,  so 
as  to  show  the  imder  side,  on  which  the  entomologist  often 
finds  the  princijDal  distinguishing  characteristics.  The  same 
rule  applies  to  Earwigs,  Grrasshoppers,  and  their  kin.  It  is 
always  as  well  to  set  one  specimen  with  spread  wings,  when 
those  organs  are  present. 


646 


INSECTS  AT  HOME. 


Fig.  2  shows  the  place  of  the  pin  in  Butterflies,  Moths,  Bees, 
Flies,  Dragon-flies,  and  their  kin,  and  indeed  in  all  insects 
where  the  wings  are  spread.  Fig.  4  shows  the  manner  in 
which  the  card  braces  are  used  for  the  purpose  of  fixing  the 
wings,  and  Fig.  3  shows  a  section  of  the  '  setting-board,'  the 
upper  part  being  made  of  cork. 

LXXIX 


SETTING    INSECTS    FOR    THE    CABINET. 


Such  a  board,  however,  is  ratlier  a  luxury  than  a  necessity. 
Cutting  a  groove  in  cork  is  a  very  difficult  business,  and  can 
scarcely  be  done  by  any  except  a  professional  cork-cutter, 
whose  instruments  are  specially  made  for  the  purpose,  are  as 
keen-edged  as  razors,  and  are  sharpened  after  every  cut  that  is 
made  with  them.  I  have  found,  for  my  part,  that  it  is  quite 
sufficient  to  fasten  two  strips  of  cork  side  by  side  on  a  jjiece  of 
soft  wood,  leaving  between  them  a  space  just  sufficient  for  the 
body  of  the  insect. 


SETTING   INSECTS.  647 

While  the  process  of  drying  is  going  on — a  process  that 
takes  from  one  to  five  weeks,  according  to  the  size  of  the  insect 
— the  boards  must  be  protected  from  dust  and  the  attacks  of 
other  insects.  I  have  always  employed  a  '  setting-box,'  which 
can  be  made  by  any  lad  with  the  least  notion  of  carpentering. 
Take  any  conveniently  sized  box,  with  a  closely  fitting  lid,  cut 
a  large  square  piece  out  of  the  lid,  another  out  of  the  bottom 
of  the  box,  and  supply  their  place  with  wire  gauze.  Turn  the 
box  on  its  side,  so  that  the  lid  opens  like  a  door,  and  nail  strips 
of  wood  on  either  end,  so  that  a  number  of  setting  boards  can 
be  placed  on  them,  like  shelves  in  a  book-case.  Leave  two 
inches  clear  space  between  the  boards.  Such  a  box  is  particu- 
larly useful,  as  it  can  be  shifted  from  place  to  place  at  the  will 
of  the  owner,  and  can  be  arranged  in  any  spot  where  there  is  a 
draught  of  dry  air. 

Care  must  be  taken  not  to  dry  insects  too  rapidly,  as  the 
wings  generally  warp  and  the  body  shrinks.  Provided  that  a 
current  of  dry  air  be  kept  up,  the  process  of  drying  cannot  be 
too  long,  and  above  all  things  the  young  entomologist  should 
avoid  the  fife.  It  is  very  tempting  to  dry  an  insect  by  the  aid 
of  the  fire  in  half  the  time  that  would  be  occupied  by  the 
ordinary  process,  but  such  temptations  must  be  strenuously 
resisted  if  the  collector  wishes  to  have  specimens  worthy  of  his 
cabinet. 

If  an  insect  be  badly  set,  it  can  easily  be  relaxed  by  a  very 
simple  process.  Bury  in  the  ground  a  good  sized  flower- pot, 
and  get  a  flat  stone  that  will  perfectly  cover  it.  Pin  the  insect 
on  a  piece  of  cork,  put  it  into  the  flower-pot,  cover  it  over 
completely,  and  in  two  or  three  days  the  wings  and  legs  will 
be  relaxed,  and  can  be  reset  as  easily  as  if  the  creatm-e  were 
recently  killed.  In  the  British  Museum  there  is  a  neat  con- 
trivance on  the  same  principle.  In  shallow  earthen  vessels 
witif  tightly  fitting  covers  a  layer  of  sand  is  placed.  The  sand 
is  kept  damp,  and  when  insects  have  to  be  relaxed,  they  are 
simply  placed  in  the  pan,  which  is  then  covered  and  put 
aside  until  the  dried  limbs  are  sufliciently  moistened. 

I  am  often  asked  to  give  hints  as  to  the  proper  construction 
of  a  cabinet,  and  my  reply  is,  that,  unless  the  entomologist  has   • 
plenty  of  money,  he  had  better  not  have  a  cabinet  at  all.     A 
good  cabinet  is  a  very  expensive  affair,  and  to  procure  one 


648  INSECTS   AT   HOME. 

cheaply  is  out  of  the  question.  A  guinea  j^er  drawer  is  the 
invariable  price  of  a  cabinet,  and  it  is  impossible  to  buy  one 
for  less  than  that  sum.  Now,  as  the  British  Beetles  alone  will 
occupy  from  twenty-five  to  thirty  drawers,  and  the  British 
Moths  at  least  the  same  number,  it  is  evident  that  if  the  col- 
lector desires  to  put  up  all  his  insects  in  cabinets,  he  will  not 
see  much  change  out  of  a  hundred  pounds. 

It  is  useless  even  to  look  out  for  second-hand  cabinets,  for 
they  cost  quite  as  much  as  if  they  were  new  ;  and,  indeed,  any 
practical  entomologist  would  much  rather  bay  an  old  cabinet 
than  a  new  one,  because  he  wo  aid  be  sure  that  no  part  of  it 
would  warp.  There  are  very  few  joiners  who  know  how  to 
make  an  entomological  cabinet,  and  of  these  few  it  is  almost 
impossible  to  find  one  who  will  not  use  unseasoned  wood  in 
those  places  where  he  thinks  it  will  not  be  seen. 

I  strongly  recommend  the  young  entomologist  not  to  trouble 
himself  about  cabinets,  but  to  purchase  some  ordinary  entomo- 
logic  boxes,  the  cost  of  which  is  comparatively  trifling,  and 
which  are  just  as  efficacious  as  cabinets  in  the  preservation  of 
insects.  It  is  as  well  to  label  them  on  the  back,  so  that  a 
glance  will  tell  the  owner  which  box  he  will  need,  when 
he  comes  to  put  another  insect  in  it.  The  two  first  boxes  in 
my  own  collection  are  thus  labelled : — 

COLEOPTERA  COLEOPTERA 

1.  2. 

CICINDELA    .    .    .    AMARA.  AMARA    .    .    .    HYGROTUS. 

The  best  mode  of  arranging  the  insects  in  the  drawers  or- 
boxes  appears  to  a  novice  to  be  a  waste  of  time  and  space,  and 
to  be  considerably  disheartening  to  boot.  Complete  lists,  which 
can  be  purchased  at  the  professional  naturalists,  should  be 
obtained,  cut  up,  and  pinned  or  otherwise  fastened  to  the  floor 
of  the  boxes  in  regular  rows,  a  space  being  left  between  the 
names  for  the  insertion  of  the  insects  when  they  are  obtained. 
Of  course,  the  spaces  needed  will  depend  very  much  on  the 
size  of  the  insect,  and  the  best  plan  is  to  leave  room  for  four 
rows  of  insects,  two  or  three  abreast,  according  to  their  size. 
At  first,  the  number  of  blanks  is  quite  appalling,  but  after  a 
while  the   eye  becomes  familiarised  to   them,  and  then  each 


AEEANGE]\IENT   OF   SPECIMENS.  649 

blank  becomes  a  sort  of  challenge,  calling  upon  the  collector  to 
fill  it  up.  Thus,  a  perpetual  interest  is  taken  in  tlie  collection, 
and  the  proprietor  regards  it  with  increasing  pride,  as  year  by 
year  the  blanks  become  filled  up,  and  their  places  are  taken  by 
row  upon  row  of  well-set  insects. 


SYSTEMATIC   INDEX. 


Order,  COLEOPTERA. 


Sec.  GEODEPHAGA 

Family,  CiciNDELiWiE,  14 
Genus,  Cicindela,  14 
Species,      —  campestris,  15 

—  germanica,  17 

—  mariiima,  19 
Fam.  Lebiad^e,  19 

Gen.  Lebia,  20 

Sp.       —  crux-minor,  20 

—  cyanocephala,  21 

—  chlorocephala,  21 
Gen.  Dromius,  21 

Sp.       —     quadrimaciilatus, 

•22 
Gen.  Tarus,  22 
Sp.       —  axillaris,  22 
Gen.  Brachinus,  23     ^ 
Sp.       explodens,  23 
Fam.  ScARiTiD.E,  24 
Gen.  Cli\'ina,  25 
Sp.       — fossor,  25 
Gen.  Dyschirius,  30 
Fam.  CAnABiD.s;,  31    ' 
Gen.  Carabus,  31 
Sp.        —  monilis,  31 

—  auratus,  32 

—  cancellatus,  32 

—  intricatus,  33 

—  violaceus,  33 
Gen.  Notiophilus,  34 
Sp.        —  higuttatus,  34 
Gen.  Nebria,  3o 

Sp.       —  brevicollis,  35 

Gen.  Calosoma,  36 

Sp.       —  sycophanta,  36 

—  i^iquisitor,  39 
Gen.  Cychrus,  40 

Sp.        —  rostratus,  40 

Fam.  CHi,.aExrrD^,  41 

Gen.  Pogonus,  41 

Sp.       —  luridipennis,  41 

Gen.  Pristonychus,  42 

Sp.        —  terricola,  42 

Gen.  Sphodrus,  42 

Sp.        —  leucopthalmns.  42 


Gen.  Calathus,  43 

Sp.       — cistdoidcs,  43 

Gen.  Anchomenus,  43. 

Sp.       —  dorsalis,  43 

Fam.  Feroniid^,  44 

Gen.  Pterostichus,  45 

Sp.        —  madidus,  45 

Gen.  Broscus,  45 

Sp.        —  cephalotes,  45 

Gen.  Amara,  46 

Sp.        —  obsoleta,  46 

Fam.  Haepalid.s;,  48 

Gen.  Harpalus,  48 

Sp.        —  ceneus,  48 

Gen.  Stenolophus,  49 

Sp.       —  Skriynshiranus,  49 

Gen.  iEpys,  49 

Sp.        —  mari7ius,  49 

Fam.  BEMBiniiDJE,  50 

Gen.  Cillenium,  50 

Sp.        —  laterale,  50 

Gen.  Bembidium,  50 

Sp.        —  bistriatum,  •'•0 

—  biguftatuin,  51 
— fumigation,  51 

—  quadriguttatum,  51 

—  pallidipmnc,  52 


Sec.  HYBBADEPHAGA 

Fam.  DmciD^,  54 

Gen.  Dyticus,  54 

Sp.        —  marginalis,  54 

Geu.  Agabus,  60 

Sp.        —  higuttatus,  60 

Gen.  Hydroporus,  60 

Sp.        —    duodec-im-puncta- 

tns,  60 
Geu.  Haliplus,  61 
Sp.       —  variegatus,  61 
Gen.  Cnemidotus,  61 

Sp.  CCBS21S,  61 

Gen.  Pelobius,  62 

Sp.        —  Hermanni,  62 

F  im.  Gyrinid^,  62 


Gen.  Gyrinus,  63 
Sp.        —  natator,  63 
—  bicolor,  64 
Gen.  Orectochilus,  65 
Sp.       —  vUlosus,  65 


Sec.  BBACHELYTRA 

Fam.  AxEOCH.\RiD.E,  67 

Gen.  Falagria,  69 

Sp.       —  sulcata,  69 

Gen.  Aleochara,  69 

Sp.       — fuscipes,  70 

Gen.  Atemeles,  70 

Sp.       —  emargi?iatus,  70 

Gen.  Oxypoda,  70 

Sp.       —  luteipe7ipis,  70 

Gen.  Homalota,  71 

Sp.       —  brunnea,  71 

Gen.  Gyrophsena,  71 

Sp.       —  gentilis,  71 

Gen.  Myrmedonia,  72 

Sp.       —  Haworthi,  72 

Fam.  TACHTPORID.S;,  73 

Gen.  Boletobius,  73 

Sp.       —  atricapillus,  73 

Gen.  Quedius,  74 

Sp.    ,   —  dilatatus,  74 

—  brevis,  75 
Fam.  Staphtlinidje,  75 
Gen.  Creophilus,  76 
Sp.       —  maxillosus,  76 
Gen.  Staphylinus,  76 
Sp.       —  ccesareus,  76 

—  erythropterus,  77 
Gen.  Ocypus,  77 

Sp.        —  olens,  77 
Gen.  Philonthus,  80 
Sp.       —  marginatus,  80 
Fam.  XAXTHOLrNrD.E,  80 
Gen.  Xantholinus,  81 
Sp.       — glabracus,  81 
Fam.  Pjederid.^:,  81 
Gen.  Stilicus,  81 
Sp.       — frag  His,  81 


652 


SYSTEMATIC  INDEX. 


Sp.        —  geniculatus,  82 
—  orhiculatus,  82 
Fam.  Stenid^,  83 
Gen.  Stenus,  83 
Sp.       —  bimaculatus,  83 
Earn.  Omalid^e,  83 
Gen.  Micral^'mma,  84 
Sp.        —  brevipenne,  84 
Gen.  Omalium,  84 
Sp.        —florah,  84 
Gen.  Prognatha,  85 
Sp.        —  quadrioornis,  85 


Sec.  NECROPHAGA 

Fam.  SiLPHiDJE,  86 
Sub-fam.  Silphina,  86 
Gen.  Necrophorus,  87 
Sp.        —  humator,  90 

—  vespiUo,  90 
Gen.  Necrodes,  92 
Sp.       —  littoralis,  92 
Gen.  Silpha,  93 
Sp.        —  thoracica,  93 
Sub-fam.  Cholevina,  94 
Gen.  Choleva,  95 
Sp.       —  angustata,  95 
Eam.  ScydMjEnid.«:,  95 
Gen.  Scydmsenus,  96 

Sp.       —  tarsatus,  95 

Fam.  ANISOTOMID.S;,  96 

Gen.  Anisotoma,  96 

Sp.        —  cinnamomea,  96 

Gen.  Agathidiiim,  96 

Sp.        —  lavigatum,  96 

Fam.  II1STERID.E,  97 

Gen.  Hister,  97 

Sp.       —  quadrimaculatus,  9  7 

Fam.  NiTinrLiD^,  98 

Sub-fam.  Nitidulina,  98 

Gen.  Omosita,  98 

Sp.       —  depressa,  98 

—  grisea,  98 
Gen.  Meligethes,  99 
Sp.        —  aneus,  99 
Sub-fam.  Ipsina,  99 
Gen.  Eliizophagus,  99 
Sp.       — ferrugineus,  99 
Fam.  CoLyDiiD.s;,  101 
Gen.  Colydium,  101 

Sp.        —  elongatum,  101 

Gen.  Anommatus,  101 

Sp.        —  duodccim-striatus, 

101 
Fam.  CRYPTOPHA.GID.S:,  102 
Gen.  Cryptophagus,  102 
Sp.        —  pUoaus,  102 
Fam.  Mycetophagi,  102 
Gen.  Mycetophagus,  103 
Sp.   — quadripusiidatus, 103 


Fam.  DKRMESTID.S),  103 
Gen.  Uerniestes,  103 
Sp.        —  lardarius,  1 04 
Fam.  "ByrrhidvE,  105 
Gen.  Byrrhus,  106 
Sp.       — fasciatus,  106 

—  jnlula,  106 
Fam.  HETERocEEiDiE,  107 
Gen.  Hetcrocerus,  107 
Sp.        — flexuosiis,  107 
Fam.  Parnid;e,  107 
Sub-fam.  Parnina,  107 
Sub-fam.  Elmina,  107 
Gen.  Elmis,  107 
Sp.        —  anev.s,  107     * 
Fam.  Hydrophilid^e,  108 
Gen.  Hydrous,  108 
Sp.        —  piceus,  108 
Fam.  SpH.a3RiDiiD.s;,  110 
Gen.  Cercyon,  111 
!Sp.        —  anale,  111 


Sec.  LAMELLICORNES 

Fam.  Getoniid.s;,  112 
Gen.  Cetonia,  112 
Sp.       —  aurata,  112 
Gen.  Gnorimus,  114 
Sp.       —  nobilis,  114 
Fam.  RxjTELiDJE,  115 
Gen.  Phyllopertha,  115 
Sp.        —  horticola,  115 
Fam.  Mei.olonthidje,  115 
Gen.  Melolontha,  115 
Sp.       — vtdgaris,  116 
Fam.  GEOTRUPiDiE,  117 
Gen.  Geotrupes,  118 
Sp.        —  stcrcorarius,  118 
Gen.  Typhoeus,  119 
Sp.        —  vulgaris,  119 
Fam.  Aphodiid.1;,  121 
Gen.  Aphodius,  121 
Fam.  LrcANiD.aE,  122 
Gen.  Lueanus,  122 
Sp.       —  cervus,  122 
Gen.  Dorcus,  124 
Sp.        —    parallelopipedus, 
124 


Sec.  STERNOXI 

Fam.  BuPRESTiD^,  127 

Gen.  Agrilus,  128 

Sp.        —  biguttatus,  128 

Fam.  Elaterid^,  129 

Gen.  Elater,  129 

Sp.        —  sanguineus,  129 

Gen.  Campylus,  131 

Sp.        —  linearis,  131 


Sec.  MALACODERMl 

Fam.  Lampyrid.*:,  133 

Gen.  Lampyris,  133 

Sp.        — noctihua,  \Z3 

Gen.  Drilus,  135 

Sp.       — flavescens,  135 

Fam.  Ti-XEPHORiDJE,  137 

Gen.  Telephorus,  137 

Sp.       —  fuscus,  1 37 

Fam.  CLERiD.ffi,  138 

Gen.  Clerus,  138 

Sp.        — formicarius,  138 

—  apiarius,  139 

—  ahcarius,  139 
Fam.  PTINID.E,  139 
Gen.  Anobium,  139 

Sp.        —  striatum,  139 
Gen.  Niptus,  141 
Gen.  Gibbium,  141 
Gen.  Mezium,  141 
Sp.       —  sulcatum,  141 


Sec.  HETEROMERA 

Fam,  Blaptidje,  143 

Gen.  Blaps,  143 

Sp.        — mortisaga,  \i3 

—  niucronata,  144 
Fam.  DiAPERiDJE,  145 
Gen.  Diaperis,  145 

Sp.       —  boleti,  145 
Fam. 'TEt^EBRiONiDiE,  146 
Gen.  Tenebrio,  146 
Sp.        —  moliior,  146 

—  obscurus,  146 
Fam.  Melandryad^,  146 
Gen.  Orchesia,  147 

Sp.        —  uvdulata,  147 

—  micans,  148 
Gen.  Melandrya,  148 
Sp.        —  carahiiides,  148 
Fam.  Pyrochroid^,  148 
Gen,  Pyrochroa,  148 

Sp.        —  coccinea,  148 

—  rubens,  149 

Fam.  MORDELLIDJE,  150 

Gen.  Anaspis,  150 

Sp.       —  ruficoUis,  150 

Gen.  Rhipiphorus,  151 

Sp.        —  paradoxus,  151 

Fam.  Meloid^,  154 

Gen.  Meloe,  154 

Sp.       —  cicatricosus,  154 

—  nigosus,  156 
Gen.  Stylops,  157 

Sp.        —  milittcB,  167 
Gen.  Elenchus,  158 
Sp.        —  teniticornis,  158 
Gen.  Lytta,  158 


SYSTEMATIC   INDEX. 


653 


Sp.       —  vesicaioria,  158 

Gen.  Sitiiris,  159 

Sp.       —  muralis,  159 


Sec.  RHYNCHOPHOEA 

Sub-Sec.  OETHOCERI 
Earn.  Bruchid.3E,  162 
Gen.  Bruchus,  162 
Sp.        —  rujlmanus,  162 
Earn.  Anthribidvb,  163 
Gen.  Platyrhinxis,  163 
Sp.        — latirostris.  \QZ 
Fam.  Attezabidvi;,  164 
Gen.  Attelabus,  164 
Sp.        — curculionoidis,  \Q\ 
Gen.  Apoderus,  165 
Gen.  Rhynchites,  166 
Sp.        —  Bacchus,  166 
Gen.  Apion,  166 
Sp.        — carduoriC7n.  168 

Sub-Sec.  GONATOCERI 
Fam.  Brachtderidj:,  169 
Gen.  Sitones,  169 
Sp.        —  lineatus,  169 
Fam.  Cleonid.e.  170 
Gen.  Cleonus,  170 
Sp.       — nebuhsus,  170 
Gen.  Molyfes,  171 
Sp.       —  gcrmanvs,  1 7 1 
Gen.  Phytonomus,  172 
Sp.       —  tigrinus,  172 
Earn.  Otioehynchid.t;,  173 
Gen.  Otiorhynchus,  173 
Sp.       —  picipcs,  173 

—  stdcatus,  175 

—  ienebricosus,  175 
Fam.  EEmuiNiDiE,  176 
Gen.  Lixus,  177 

Sp.       —  bicolor,  177 

—  'paraplccticits,  177 

—  angustatus,  I'J'i 
Gen.  Pissodes,  177 

Sp.       —  pini,  177 
Gen.  Anthonomus,  178 
Sp.       —  pomorum,  178 
Gen.  Tychius,  181 
Sp.       —  veniistus,  181 
Gen.  Orchestes,  182 
Sp.       —  fagi,  182 
Earn .  Cryptoehynchid^, 
183 


Gen.  Coiliodes,  183 
Sp.       —  guercus,  183 
Gen.  Orobites,  184 
Sp.       —  a/anctis,  184 
Earn.  Calandeidje,  184 
Gen.  Sitophilus,  184 
Sp.       —  oryzcB,  184 

—  granarius,  184 
Earn.  Hylesinid^,  186 
Gen.  Hylesinus,  186 
Sp.       —  crenatus,\%& 
Gen.  Scolytus,  186 
Sp.       —  dcstmctor,  186 
Gen.  Tomicus,  190 
Sp.       —  typographicus,  190 


Sec.  LONGICORNES 

Fam.  PE10N1D.J),  192 
Gen.  Prionus,  192 
Sp.       —  coriarius,  192 
Fam.  Cerambycid.s;,  193 
Gen.  Aromia,  193 
Sp.       —  moschata,  193 
Gen.  Callidium,  195 
Sp.       —  violaceum,  195 
Gen.  Clytus,  196 
Sp.       —  arietis,  196 
Gen.  Gracilia,  197 
Sp.       —  pygmma,  197 
Fam.  LamiaDjE,  198 
Gen.  Astinomus,  198 
Sp.       —  cediUs,  198 
Gen.  Pogonocenis,  200 
Sp.       —  pilosus,  200 
Fam.  LEPTcrEiD.s:,  200 
Gen.  Rhagiiim,  200 
Sp.       • —  inquisitor,  200 

—  bifasciatum,  201 
Gen.  Strangalia,  202 
Sp.       —  armata,  202 


Sec.  EUPODA 

Fam.  DoNAciAD^,  203 

Gen.  Donacia,  203 

Sp.       —  mcvyanthidis,  203 

—  nymph(Boides,  205 

—  typhce,  205 

—  latifolia,  205 


Sp. 

Fam. 

Gen. 

Sp. 

Fam. 

Gen. 

Sp. 

iam. 

Gen. 

Sp. 

Gen. 

Sp. 

Gen. 

Sp. 

Fam. 

Gen. 

Sp. 

Gen. 

Sp. 

Fam. 

Gen. 

Sp. 


—  sagitfaria,  205 
Criocehiii^e,  205 
Crioceri.s.  205 

—  merdigcra,  205 

—  asparogi,  206 
Cryptocephalid^,  206 
Cryptocephalus,  206 

—  rary/i,  206 
CHRY.-iOMELlDyB,  208 

Timarcha,  208 

—  IcBvigata,  208 

—  coriacea,  208 
Chrj'somela,  209 

—  stapliylea,  209 
Prasocuris,  209 

—  bcccabungm,  209 
Halticid.!),  210 
Phyllotreta,  211 

—  brassicw,  211 
Phylliodes,  213 

—  hyoscyand,  213 
Cassidiidv-e,  213 
Cassida,  214 

—  viridis,  214 

—  murroea,  214 


See.  PSEUnOTRIMERJ 

Fam.  Erotylid^,  215 
Gen.  Triplax,  215 
Sp.       —  russica,  215 
Gen.  Engis,  215 
Earn.  CoccinelliDjE,  216 
Gen.  Coccint-lla,  217 
Sp.       —  occllata,  217 

—  scptenipiinctata, 

217 

—  bipunctata,  218 
Earn.  Endomvchid^,  219 
Gen.  Lycoperdina,  219 
Sp.       —  bovista,  219 
Fam.  Trichopterid^,  220 
Gen.  Trichopterj'x,  220 
Sp.       —  atomaria,  220 
Fam.  PsELAPHiD^.  221 
Sub-fam.  Pselaphinse,  221 
Gen.  Pselaphus,  221 

Sp.       —  Heisei,  221 

—  BnsdeiKnsis,  221 
Sub-fam.  Clavigerina,  222 
Gen.  Claviger,  222 

Sp.       ^-  foveolatus,  222 


Fam.  FoEFrcuLiD.s:,  226 

Gen.  Forficula,  226 

Sp.       —  auricviaria,  226 


Order,  DEEMAPTERA. 


Gen.  Labia,  228 
Sp.      —  minor,  228 


Gen.  Labidura,  230 
Sp-      —  gigantea,  230 


654 


SYSTEMATIC   INDEX. 


Sec.  CURSOEIA 

"Fam.  Blattid-e,  236 

Gen.  Blatta,  236 

Sp.       —  orientalis,  236 

—  germanica,  239 

—  erketorum,  240 


Order,  ORTHOPTERA. 

Sec.  SALTATORIA 

Fam.  AcHETiD.i5,  240 

Gen.  Acheta,  241 

Sp.       —  domestica,  241 

—  campestris,  243 

—  siilvesfris,  245 
Gen.  Gryllotalpa,  245 
Sp.       —  vulgaris,  245 
Fam.  GRYLLiDiE,  247 
Gen.  Acrida,  247 


Sp.       —  viridissima,  247 
Gen.  Meconema,  249 
Sp.       —  varia,  249 
Gen.  Deeticus,  250 
Sp.       —  griseus,  250 
Gen.  Thamnotrizon,  251 
Sp.       —  cincreus,  251 
Fam.  LocusTrD.a3,  251 
Gen.  Pachytylus,  261 
Sp.       —  migratorius,  261 


Fam.  THEiPiDiB,  259 


Order,  THYSANOPTERA. 

I  Gen.  Phlseothripcj,  259  |  Sp.       —  coriacea,  259 


Order,  NETJROPTERA. 


Fam.  PERLID.K,  263 

Gen.  Perla,  263 

Sp.       —  marginata,  263 

—  grandis,  265 

—  PA'phalotes,  265 

—  bicaudata,  266 
Gen.  Chloroperla,  266 
Sp.       —  viridis,  266 
Fam.  EphemekidjE,  266 
Gen.  Ephemera,  266 
Sp.       —  vulgata,  266 
i'^am.  LiBELiiULiDJE,  269 
Sub-fam.Libellulides,269 


Gen.  iEshna,  273 
Sp.       —  grandis,  273 
Gen.  Libellula,  275 
Sp.       —  deprcssa,  275 
Gen.  Cordulegaster,  276 
Sp.       —  anmdatus,  276 
Sub-fam.  Agrionides,  277 
Gen.  Calopteryx,  277 
Sp.       —  virgo,  277 
Gen.  Agrion,  277 
Sp.      —  minium,  277 
Fara.  Eaphiuiid^,  278 


Gen.  Ehaphidia,  278 
Sp.       —  ophiopsis,  278 
Fam.  Hemekobiid^e,  279 
Gen.  Chrysopa,  279 
Sp.       —  vulgaris,  279 
Gen.  Osmylus,  281 
Sp.       —  chrysop)s,  281 
Fam.  Panoepid.!:,  282 
Gen.  Panorpa,  282 
Sp.       —  communis,  282 
Gen.  Boreus,  282 
Sp.       —  hyemalis,  282 


Fam.  Phryganid^,  288 
Gen.  Phryganea,  288 
Sp.       —  grandis,  288 
— •  minor,  291 

—  rhombica,  289 

—  lunaris,  289 


Order,  TRICHOPTERA. 


Sp.       —  fusca,  289 
Gen.  Sericostoma,  289 
Sp.       —  multiguttaium,  289 
Gen.  Hydropsyche,  290 
Sp..       —  maciilicornis,  290 


Sp.       —  senex,  290 
Gen.  Limnephilus,  292 
Sp.       —  elcgans,  292 
Gen.  Leptocerus,  292 
Sp.       —  ochraccus,  292 


Order,  HYMENOPTERA. 


See.  TEREBEAIfTIA 

Sub-Sec.  PHYTOPHAG  A 
Fam.  Tenthredinid.<e,  297 
Gen.  Cimbex,  299 
Sp.       —  lutea,  299 
Gen.  Trichiosoma,  300 
Sp.       —  hicorum,  300 
Gen.  Hylotonia,  302 


Sp.       —  ros<B,  302 

Gen.  Sehizocerus,  303 

Sp.       —  pallipes,  303 

Gen.  Athalia,  303 

Sp.       —  sjnnarum,  303 

Gen.  Selandria,  307 

Gea.  Allantus,  307 

Sp.       —  scrophularim,  307 

Gen.  Croesus,  308 


Sp.       —         septentrionalis, 

308 
Gen.  Tenthredo,  308 
Sp.       —  zonatus,  308 
Gen.  Nematus,  309 
Sp.       —  grtssuhirw,  309 
Gen.  Lophyrus,  .S09 
Sp.       —  pini.  309 
Gen.  Lyda,  311 


SYSTEMATIC  INDEX. 


655 


Sp.      —  hortorum,  311 
Fam.  Ukocerid;e,  311 
Gen.  Urocerus,  312 
Sp.       — juvvncus,  312 

—  '(/iqas.  313 
Sub-Se<'.  ENTOMOPHAGA 
Tribe,  Spiculifpira,  315 
Fam.  Cynipid.t;;.  315 

Gen.  Cynips,  316 
Sp.       —  Kollari,  316 
Fam.  EvANiin.E,  318 
Fam.  IcuNEu:\roxiD^,  320 
Gen.  Ichneumon,  320 
Sp.       —  proteiis,  320 

—  crassorius,  321 
Gen.  Tryphon,  321 

Sp.       —  rutilator,  322 
Gen,  Tragus,  322 
Sp.       —  aimpos,  322 
Gen.  Cryptus,  322 
Sp.       —  migrator,  322 
Gen.  Pezomaehus,  323 
Sp.       —  sonatus.  323 

—  fasciafus,  323 
Gen.  Pimpla,  323 

Sp.       —  instigator,  323 
Gen.  Rhyssa,  324 
Sp.       —  pers'iasoria,  324 
Gen.  Chelonus,  325 
.Sp.       —     ocidator,  325 
Gen.  Microgaster,  325 
Sp.       —  glomeratus^,  325 

—  alvearius,  327 
Fam.  Chalcidics:.  328 
Gen.  Cleonymus,  328 

Sp.       —  viacuUpinnis,  328 
Fam.  Peoctotrvpid-^^,  329 
Gen.  Teleas,  329 
Sp.       —  datior,  329 
Gen.  Mymar,  329 
Sp.       —  pidcheUus,  329 
Tribe,  Tubtjlifera.  330 
Fam.  Chrtsidid.e,  330 
Gen.  Chrysis,  331 
Sp.       —  ignita.  331 

—  bidentata,  332 

—  neglecta,  332  I 


Sec.  HETEROGYNA 

Tribe,  Ac'uleata.  335 
Fam.  Formicid-ij,  335 
Gen.  Formica,  336 
Sp.       —  rnfa,  336 

.  —  fuligino.'<a,  339 

—  sanguinca,  340 
Gen.  Myrmica,  340 

Sp.       —  lavinodes,  340 

—  nitidida,  340 
Fam.  MutillicUo.  340 
Gen.  Mutilla,  341 

Sp.       —  Europtea,  341 
Tribe,  Fossores,  341 
Fam.  Pompilid.t;,  341 
Gen.  Pompilus,  341 
Sp        —  ftcscxs,  341 
Fam.  Larrid^,  343 
Gen.  Astata,  343 
Sp.       —  boojjs,  343 
Fam.  Ntssonid-je,  344 
Gen.  Mellinus,  344 
Sp.       —  arvdisis,  344 
Fam.  CRABRONniJE,  345 
Gen.  Orabro,  345 
Sp.     —  quadrimacidatus,  345 
Fam.  Philanthid^,  346 
Gen.  Cerceris,  346 
Sp.       —  arvensis,  346 


Sec.  DIPLOPTERA 

Fam.  EtjmenidjE,  348 
Gen.  Eumenes,  348 
Sp.       —  coardata,  348 
Gen.  Odynerus,  350 
Sp.       —  Iwvipes,  350 

—  melanoccphalus, 

350 

—  quadratus,  350 
Fam.  Vespiuje,  350 
Gen.  Vespa,  351 

Sp.       —  vulgaris,  351 

—  germanica,  353 

—  arbor ea,  353 


Sp.       —  Norvegica,  353 
—  crahro,  354 


Sec.  ANTHOPHILA 

Fam.  ANDRENiDyT:,  355 
Gen.  Halictus,  355  r 

Sp.       —  rubicimdus,  355 

—  minutissimus,  356 
Gen.  Andrena,  357 

Sp.       —  convcxiusctda,  35" 

—  vitida,  357  • 

—  Trimmerana,  357 

—  pilipes,  358 
Gen.  Cilissa,  358 

Sp.      —  kfemorrkoidalis,  358 
Gen.  Dasypoda,  358 
*Sp.       —  hirtipes,  358 
Fam.  AriD^,  359 
Gen.  Nomada,  359 
Sp.       —  riificoryiis,  359 
Gen.  Ccelioxys,  361 
Sp.       —  simplex,  361 
Gen.  Meleeta,  362 
Sp.       —  armata,  362 
Gen.  Osmia,  363 
Sp.       —  rufa,  363 

—  bicolor,  363 

—  leucomelana.  .''64 

—  fulviventris,  364 

—  parictana,  364 
Gen.  Megac'hile,  365 

Sp.       —  ccntuncularis,  365 

Gen.  Anthidium,  365 

Sp.       —  manicatum,  .?6') 

Gen.  Eucera,  367 

Sp.       —  longicornis,  367 

Gen.  Bombus,  369 

Sp.       — ■  muscorum,  369 

—  lucorum,  371 

—  lapidarius,  372 
Gen.  Apathus,  373 

Sp.       —  vestalis,  373 

—  harhatcllus,  374 
Gen.  Apis,  375 

Sp.       —  mellijica,  375 


Sec.  RHOPALOCEEA 

Fam.  PAPiLio:«DiE,  386 

Gen.  Papilio,  386 

Sp.       —  machaon,  386 

Fam.  PiERin.Ti.  389 

Gen.  Pieris,  390 

Sp.       —  hrassic(e,  390 

—  cratregi,  391 

—  rapm,  391 


Order,  LEPIDOPTEEA. 


jSp 


-  napi,  392 

-  Daplidicas,  392 
Gen.  Leucophasia,  392 
Sp.  —  sinapis,  392 
Gen.  Anthocharis,  392 
Sp.  —  cardamines,  392 
Gen.  Gonepteryx.  393 
Sp.  —  rhaiMil,  393 
Gen.  Colias,  393 

Sp.       —  edusa,  393 


Fam.  Yanessid.^,  394 
Gen.  Argynnis,  395 
Sp.       —  aglaia,  395 
Gen.  Vanessa,  396 
Sp.       —  antiopa.  396 

—  C.  album,  397 

—  polychloros,  398 

—  urtirte,  399 

—  atalanta.  399 

—  cardui,  401 


656 


SYSTEMATIC   INDEX. 


Sp. 

Gen. 

Sp. 

Fam 

Gen. 

Sp. 

Gen. 

Sp. 

Gen. 

Sp. 


Fam 
Gen. 

Sp. 

Geu. 
Sp. 


—  lo,  403 
Apatura,  403 

—  Iris,  403 
Sattrid;e,  406 
Arge,  406 

—  Galathea,  406 
Erebia,  407 

—  blandina,  407 
Satyrus,  407 

—  Egcria,  407 

—  Negmra,  407 

—  Semdc,  407 

—  Janira,  407 

—  Hypcranthus,  407 
,  Lycjenid^,  408 
Polyommatus,  409 

—  dispar,  409 

—  Adonis,  410 
Hesperia,  411 

—  paniscus,  411 

—  malves,  411 


Sec.  HETEROGERA. 

Tribe,  Noctueni,  412 
Fam.  Sphingid^,  412 
Gen.  Acherontia,  413 
Sp.       —  Atropos,  413 
Gen.  Deilephila,  417 
8p.       —  euphorhicB,  417 
Gen.  Smerinthus,  419 
Sp.       —  ocdlatiis,  419 

—  popidi,  419 

—  tilics,  420 
Gen.  Sphinx,  421 

Sp.       —  convolvuli,  421 

—  ligustri,  421 
Gen.  Choerocampa,  422 
Sp.  —  ilpenor,  422 
Gen.  Macroglossa,  422 
Sp.       —  stcUatarum,  422 

—  homhyliformis,  425 

—  fuciformis,  425 
Fam.  Sesiad^,  426 
Gen.  Sesia,  426 

Sp.       —  apiformis,  426 

—  tipidiformis,  427 
Fam.  Zeuzkrid.^:,  427 
Gen.  Zeiizera,  428 

Sp.       —  (SscuH.  428 
Gen.  Cossus,  430 
Sp.       —  ligniperda,  430 
Fam.  Zyoj^jnid^,  433 
Gen.  Anthrncera,  433 
Sp.       _  filipcndula,  433 

—  Minos,  434 
Fam.  ErcHKi.iDJK,  435 
Gen.  Callimorplia,     or     Eu- 

chelia,  435 
Sp.       —  Jacobea,  435 


Gen.  Deiopeia,  4o6 

Sp.       —  pnlchcUri,  436 

Gen.  CallimorpIiS,  437 

Sp.       —  Domimtla,  437 

Fam.  CHEL0N1D.B,  437 

Gen.  Chelonia,  437 

Sp.       —  caja,  437 

Gen.  Liparis,  438 

Sp.       —  monacha,  438 

Gen.  Orgyia,  439 

Sp.       —  antiqua,  439 

Gen.  Bombyx,  441 

Sp.       —  quercus,  441 

Gen.  Gastropacha,  442 

Sp.       —  quirdfolia,  442 

Gen.  Saturnia,  444 

Sp.       —  Carpini,  444 

Tribe,  Geometer,  446 

Fam.  Ueapteetd;e,  447 

Gen.  Urapteryx.  447 

Sp.       —  samhncata,  447 

Fam.  ExNOMiwjE.  448 

Gen.  Rumia,  448 

Sp.       —  cratcegata,  448 

Gen.  Amphydasis,  449 

Sp.       —  prodromaria,  449 

Gen.  Geometra.  450 

Sp.       —  papUiovaria,  450 

Gen.  Abraxas,  450 

Sp.       —  grossu'ariatn,  450 

Fam.  HiBERNiD^E,  452 

Gen.  Hibernia,  452 

Sp.       —  defoliaria,  452 

Fam.  FiDONiD^,  454 

Gen.  Scodiona,  454 

Sp.       —  belgiaria.  454 

Gen.  Cheimatobia,  454 

Sp.       —  hrumata,  454 

Gen.  Oporabia,  457 

Sp.       —  dilataia.  457 

Gen.  Melanthia,  457 

Sp.       —  alhicillata,  457 

Gen.  Melanippp,  457 

Sp.       —  haslata,  457 

—  montana,  458 
Gen.  Anticlea,  458 

Sp.       —  sinufita,  458 

—  ruhidaia,  459 

—  badiaia,  459 
Gen.  Scotosia,  460 
Sp.       —  certata.  460 
Gen.  Cidaria,  460 

Sp.       —  sagittata,  460 

Fam.  EuBoi.iD^,  461 

Gen.  Chesias,  461 

Sp.       —    sjMrtiata,  461 

Gen.  Tanagra,  462 

Sp.       —  charophyllata,  462 

Tribe,PSECDO-BOMBYCES, 

463 
Fam.  DiCEAKUEiDiE,  463 


Gen.  Dicrannra,  463 

Sp.       —  vimda,  463 

—  furcula,  466 
Gen.  Stauropiis,  468 
Sp.       —  fagi,  468 
Gen.  Pygsera,  468 
Sp.       —  buccphala,  468 
Fam.  NotodontidjE,  470 
Gen.  Notodonta,  470 
Sp.       —  dromedarius,  47C 
Tribe,  Nocture,  471 
Fam.  Trifid.s;,  473 
Gen.  Thyatira,  473 
Sp.       —  batis,  473 
Fam.  B0MBYCIC01D.E,  474 
Gen.  Diphthera,  474 
Sp.       —   Orion,  474 
Fam.  LEUCANiD.iE,  475 
Gen.  Leucania,  475 
Sp.       — ■  ttirca,  475 
Gen.  Mamestra,  476 
Sp.       —  brassiccB,  476 
Fam.  N0CTUID.E,  477 
Gen.  Agrotis,  477 
Sp.       —  segetum,  477 
Gen.  Tryphsena,  478 
Sp.       —  janthina,  478 

—  pronuha,  479 
Fam.  Orthosid.e,  481 
Gen.  .\authia,  481 

Sp.       —  silago,  481 
Fam.  Hadenid;e,  481 
Gen.  Phlogophora,  481 
Sp.       —  r/uticn/osa,  481 
Fam.  QuADRiFiDiE,  482 
Gen.  Plusia,  482 
Sp.       —  chrysitis,  482 

—  gamma,  483 

—  ptdchrina,  483 

—  bractea.  483 
Fam.  G0XOPTEEID.S;,  484 
Gen.  Gonopteryx,  484 
Sp.       —  libatrix,  484 
Fam.  Catocai-id,*;,  485 
Gen.  Catocala,  485 

Sp.       —  nupta,  485 

—  promissa,  486 

—  fraxini,  486 

Sec.  BELTOIDES 

Fam.  Hypknid.s:,  488 

Gen.  Hypena,  488 

Sp.       —  rostralis,  488 

—  proboscida/is,  48S 

—  crassalis,  488 

Sec.  PYRALIDES 

Fam.  PuLVERui-ENT.K,  489 
Gen.  Pyralis,  490 


SYSTEMATIC  INDEX, 


657 


Sp.       —  farinalis,  490 

—  fflaucinalis,  490 
G-en.  Aglossa,  490 

Sp.       —  pinguinalis,  490 

Fam.  LuRin.E,  491 

Gen.  Ennyeliia,  491 

iSp.       —  ocfiiniacuMis,  491 

Pam.  HYDKoCAMPiD.Ti,  492 

Gen.  Hydrocampa,  492 

Sp.       —  siagnalis,  492 

Fam.  BoTYD.ii,  494 

Gen.  Botys,  494 

Sp.       —  urticalis,  495 

Gen.  Spilodes,  496 

Sp.       —  sticticalis,  496 

—  clnctalis,  496 
Fam.  Plic.vt.e,  496 
Gen.  Steuopterj'x,  496 
Sp.       —  hylridalls,  496 

Sec.  CRAMBITE8 

Fam.  CRAMBiD.ii,  497 

Gen.  Crambus,  497 

Sp.       —  hamellus,  497 

Fam.  Chilid^,  498 

Gen.  Chilo,  498 

Sp.       —  lAragmitellus,  498 

Gen.  Schoenobius,  499 

8p.       —  gigantillus,  499 

Fam.  Physid^,  500 

Gen.  Galleria,  oOO 

Sp.       —  cerella,  500 

Gen.  Melia,  502 

Sp.       —  socie/la,  502 

Gen.  Achroia,  502 

Sp.       —  grisella,  502 

See.  TORTRICES 

Fam.  Cymbidte,  503 
Gen.  Halias,  504 


Sp.       —  fraxinana,  504 

—  qucrcana,  504 
Fam.  ToRTRiciD.=E,  504 
Gen.  Tortrix,  504 

Sp.       —  sorhiana,  504 

—  viridana,  bOb 

—  costana.  505 
Gen.  Peronea,  505 

Sp.       —  crisiana,  505 
Gen.  Teras,  506 
Sp.       —  caudana,  506 
Gen.  Dictyopteryx,  507 
Sp.       —      Bergmanniana, 

507 
Gen.  Cuephasia,  508 
Sp.        —      octomaculana, 

508 
Fam.  SPILONOTID.E,  508 
Gen.  Spilonota,  508 
Sp.       —  roborana,  508 

—  ocellana,  509 

Fam.  GRAPHOLITHIDiE,  509 

Gen.  Carpoeapsa,  509 
Sp.       —  2^omonaua,  509 
Gen.  Ephippiphora,  512 
Sp.       —  scutidana,  512 

—  fcenclla,  513 
Gen.  Semasia,  513. 

Sp.       —    Wehvrana,  513 
Fam.  CocHYLiD^,  513 
Gen.  Xanthosetia,  513 
Sp.       —  zoegana,  513 


Sec.  TINEM 

Fam.  GELECHiD.ffi,  515 
Gen.  Depressaria,  515 
Sp.       —  nervosella,  515 
Fam.  HYPONOMECTiDiE.  516 
Gen.  Hyponomeuta,  516 


Sp.       —  padella,  516 
Fam.  TineidjE,  518 
Gen.  Adela,  518 
Sp.       —  de  Geerella,  518 
Fam.  GEACiiXARiDiE,  519 
Gen.  Gracillaria,  519 
Sp. .     —  syringclla,  519 
Fam.  CoLEOPHORiD^^,  520 
Gen.  Coleophora,  520 
Sp.       —  ihipcnnella,  520 

—  falliatella,  521 

—  therinella,  522 

—  currucipcnnclla, 522 

—  conspicuclla ,  522 
Fam.  Elachistidjj,  522 
Gen.  Tischeria,  522 

Sp.       —  complancUa,  523 
Fam.  LiTiiocoLLETiDJE,  623 
Gen.  Lithocolletes,  523 
Sp.       —  cor?//c/la,  523 
Fam.  Neptictji-idjk,  525 
Gen.  Nepticula,  525 
Sp.       —  aitrclla,  b'lb 

—  plagicolella,  527 

—  argent ipedell a,  527 

—  acetosella,  627 


Sec.  PTEBOPHORl 

Fam.  Pterophoridje,  527 
Gen.  Agdistes,  528 
Sp.       —  Bennetii,  528 
Gen.  Pterophorus,  528 
Sp.       —  j)entadactyhi.s,  528 
— ■  rhododnctylus,  529 
—  pffrodac/i/hcs,  529 
Fam.  Alucitid.^,  529 
Gen.  Alucita,  529 
Sp.       —  polydaciyla,  629 


Order,  HOMOPTERA. 


Sec.  TEIMEEA 

Sp. 

—  sangidnolenta,  539 

Gen. 

Ptyelus,  540 

Fam 

C1CADID.S:,  534 

Sp. 

—  bifasciatus,  540 

Gen. 

Cicada,  534 

Gen. 

Aphrophora,  541 

Sp. 

—  avglica,  534 

Sp. 

—  spumaria,  541 

Fam 

Cercopidje.  536 

Gen. 

Centrotus,  537 

Sp. 

—  corimtug,  537 

Sec.  BIMEEA 

Gen. 

Ledra,  538 

Sp. 

—  aurita,  538 

Fam 

Aphid.*;,  542 

Q-en. 

Triepphora,  539 

Gen. 

Aphis,  542 

Sp.  —  tilicB,  542 
Gen  Eriosoma,  547 
Sp.       —  aphis,  548 


Sec.  MOXOMEBA 

Fam.  C0CCID.S;,  549 
Gen.  Coccus.  549 


IJ   U 


658 


SYSTEMATIC   INDEX. 


Oedek,  HETEROPTERA. 


Sec.  AUBOCOBISA 

Fam.  Cyunidjk,  557 
G-en.  Si'hirus,  557 
Sp.       —  duhius,  557 
Fam.  AsopiDiE,  557 
Gen.  Asopiis,  557 
Sp.       —  luridus,  657 
Earn.  CoEEiDJE,  559 
Gen.  Verlusia,  559 
Sp.       —  rhomhea,  559 
Gen.  Coreus,  559 
Sp.       —  hirticornis,  559 
Gon.  Stenocephalus,  560 
Sp.       — ■  agilis,  660 
Fam.  C^ciGENiNA,  560 
Gen.  Pynhocoris,  660 
Sp.       —  ajjterus,  560 
Fam.  EerytidjE,  562 
Gen.  Neides,  562 
Sp.       —  depressus,  562 

Fam.         EHYP.iROCHEOMIDJE, 

562 
Gen.  Ehyparocliromus,  662 


Sp.       —  dilatafHs,  562 
Fam.  Henestarid.'E,  563 
Gen.  Henestaris,  563 
Sp.       —  laticeps,  563 
Fam.  PHYTOCDiaDjK,  664 
Gen.  Phytocoris,  56-1 
Sp.       —  tilice,  56-1 
Fam.  Idolocoridje,  565 
Gen.  Systellonotus,  565 
Sp.       —  triguttatus,  665 
Fam.  Capsid^,  666 
Gen.  Orthocephalus,  566 
Sp.       —  hirtus,  566 
Fam.  AcANTHiiD^,  567 
Gen.  Ai-anthia,  567 
Sp.       —  hctiilaria,  667 
Fam.  Reduviid^,  573 
Gen.  Eediivius,  573 
Sp.       —  j^^ersowft^MS,  573 
Gen.  Coranus,  574 
Sp.       —  ati/japterus,  674 
Fam.  Htorometrid^,  575 
Gen.  Hydrometra,  677 
Sp.       —  gibbifera,  577 


Sp.       —  argentata,  577 
Fam.  HALTicocoRiuiE,  578 
Gen.  Halticocoris,  578 
Sp.       —  lutcicoUis,  578 

• —  pallidicornis,  578 
Fam.  ScuTELLAKiD/^,  578 
Gen.  Pentatoma,  678 
Sp.       —  dissimile,  678 


Sec.  HYDROCORISA 


Fam. 

Gen. 

Sp. 

Gen. 

Sp. 

Fam . 

Gen. 

Sp. 

Gen. 

Sp. 

Gen. 

Sp. 


NoTONECTip^,  581 

Nolonecta,'582 

—  glavca,  682 
Corixa,  684 

—  Geoffroyi,  584 
Nepidje,  686 
Nepa,  585 

—  cinerea,  586 
Ranatra,  586 

—  linearis,  686 
Naucoris,  586 

-r  cimicoides,  586 


Okder,  APHANIPTERA.- 


Fam.  PuLtciDjE,  591 

Sp. 


I  Gen.  Pulex,  595 
irritans,  695  | 


Sp. 


I  Sp.  —  talpcB,  595 
-  penetrans,  695 


Order,  DIPTERA. 


Sec.  CEPHALOTA 

Tribe,  Nemoceea,  600 

Earn.  CuLiciD-52,  601 

Gen.  Culex,  601 

Sp.       —  pipiens,  601 

Earn.  TiPULiD^,  607 

Gen.  Tipula,  607 

Sp.       —  longicornis,  607 

Gen.  Chironomus,  607 

Tribe,  Brachoceea,  611 

StirpS,  NOTACANTHA,  611 

Fam.  Stratiomydje,  611 
Gen.  Stratiomys,  611 
Sp.       —  furcafa,  611 

—  chameleon,  612 
Stirps,  Tanysi'oma,  614 
Earn.  TABANiuiE,  614 
Gen.  Tabanus,  614 
Sp.       —  boviuus,  614 
Fam.  BoMBYLiu.*!,  616 


Gen.  Bombylius,  616 

Sp.       —  mcdius,  616 

Fam.  ASIL1D.S;,  616 

Gen.  Asilus,  617 

Sp.       —  crabroniformisfiXl 

Stirps,  Atuvrickra,  617 

Fam.  Syrphid^e,  617 

Gen.  Eristali.s,  617 

Sp.       —  tcnax,  617 

Gen.  Merodon,  620 

Sp.       — •  clavipcs,  620 

Gen.  Volucella,  622 

Sp.       —  pelluccns,  622 

—  plumata,  623 
Gen.  Syrphu.s,  623 

Sp.       —  lucoruin,  623 

—  pyrastri,  624 

—  balteahni,  625 

—  decorns,  625 

—  tcBuiatus,  625 

—  topiarius,  625 


Fam.  CoNOPiDJE,  626 

Gen.  Conops,  626 

Sp.       —  vesicularis,  626 

—  Jiavipes,  627 

—  rufipes,  627 

—  macrocephtdus,  627 
Fam.  MtrsciDJE,  627 

Gen.  Tachina,  628 
Sp.       —  ferox,  628 

—  gro-isa,  628 
Gen.  Anthomyia,  629 
Sp.       —  lardaria,  629 

—  ceparum,  630 

—  lactiiccB,  630 

—  brassiere,  630 
Gen.  Musca,  631 

Sp.       —  domestica,  631 

—  vomit oria,  632 

—  carnaria,  632 
Gen.  Scatophaga,  633 
Sp.       —  stercururia,  G33 


Sp,       —  scyhnlaria,  634 

Gen.  Phora,  634 

Sp.       —  abdominalis,  634 

—  dauci,  635 
Fam.  CEsTEiDJE,  635 
Gen.  Gasterophilus,  636 
Sp.       —  equi,  636 
Gen.  CEstrus,  637 

Sp.       —  bovis,  637 

—  ovis,  637 


SYSTEMATIC  INDEX. 


Sec.  THOBAGOCEPHALA 

Fam.  HippoBosciDJE,  638 
Gen.  Melophagus,  638 
Sp.       —  ovi7ius,  638 
Gen.  Ornithomyia,  640 
Sp.       —  fringillaria,  640 

—  avicidaria,  640 
Gen.  Hippobosca,  641 


659 


Sp.       —  equina,  641 
Gen.  Stonopteryx,  642 
Sp.       —  hirundinis,  64  2 
Gen.  Haeraobora,  643 
Sp.       —  pal/ipes,  643 
Fam.  NYCTERiBin).E,  643 
Gen.  Nycteribia,  644 
Sp.       —  Latreilli,  644 


V  vS 


ALPHABETICAL   INDEX. 


ABR 

ABEAXAS,  450 
Acanthia,  567,  572 
Acanthiidse,  567 
Acherontia,  322,  413 
Acheta,  241 
Achetidse,  240 
Achroia,  502 
Acilius,  271 
Acrida,  247 
Aculeata,  297,  335 
Adactyla,  528 
Adela^  518 
Adephaga,  14 
JEpys,  49    ■ 
^shna,  273 

Afternoon  Tortrix  Moth, 
Agabus,  60 
Agathidium,  96 
Agdistes,  528 
Agelena,  323 
Aglossa,  490 
Agrilus,  128 
Agrion,  277 
Agrionides,  275,  277 
Agriotypus,  492 
Agrotis,  477 
Air  Bug,  556 
Aleochara,  69 
Aleoeharidae,  67 
Allantus,  307 
Alucita,  529 
Amara,  47 

American  Blight,  548 
Amphydasis,  449 
Anaspis,  150 
Anatomy  of  Beetle,  9 
Anchomenus,  43 
Andrena,  357 
Andrenidse,  355 
Andrenoides,  359 
Angle-shades  Moth,  481 
Anisoptera,  266 
Anisotoma,  96 
Anisotomidpe,  96 
Anobium,  139 
Anommatuij,  101 


507 


ANT 
Ants,  295,  335 

—  Black,  339 

—  Hill,  336 

—  Horse,  336 

—  Lions,  280 

—  Eed,  340 

—  Social,  335 

—  Solitary,  340 

—  Wood, '336 

—  Yellow,  340 
Antelope  Beetle,  125 
Anthocharis,  392 
Anthomyia,  630 
Anthonomus,  178 
Antbophila,  355 
Antliophora,  363 
Anthribidse,  163 
Anthrocera,  433 
Anticlea,  458 
Apathus,  373 
Apatura,  403 
Aphaniptera,  589 
Aphidse,  542 
Aphis,  542 
Aphodiidffi,  121 
Aphodius,  121 
Aphrophora,  541 
Apidse,  359 
Apion,  166 

Apis,  375 
Apoderus,  164 
Apple  Beetle,  178 

—  Weevil,  178 
Apricot  Beetle,  175 

—  Weevil,  175 
Aretia,  437 
Arge,  406 

Argent    and    Sable 

457 
Argynnis,  395 
Aricia,  629 
Armed  Beetle,  202 
Aromia,  193 
Asilidse,  616 
Asilus,  617 
Asopid?e,  557 


Moth, 


BEE 

Asopns,  559 
Asparagus  Beetle,  206 
Astata,  343 
Astinomus,  198 
Atalanta,  400 
Atemeles,  70 
Athalia,  303 
Attelabus,  164 
Aurocorisa,  556,  578 


BACK-SWBIMER    Bugs, 
581 
Baco]?  Beetle,  104 
Baker  Fly,  632 
Balaninus,  180 
Banded  Pill  Beetle,  106 
Banded  Snout-Moth,  488 
Bat-Louse,  644 
Bearded-horn  Beetle,  200 
Beautiful  Carpet  Moth,  457 

—  China  Mark  Moth,  493 
~  Golden-Y  Moth,  483 

—  Snout-Moth,  488 
Bed  Bug,  556,  567 
Bee,  295,  359 

—  Carder,  369 

—  Cuckoo,  360 

—  Domesticated,  368 

—  Dumble.  368 

—  Hive,  375 

—  Hoop-shaver,  365 

—  Humble,  368 

—  Hummel,  368 

—  Kentish,  358 

—  Leaf-cutter,  361,  365 

—  Meadow,  369 

—  Naked,  359 

—  Social,  348,  368 

—  Solitary,  348,  355,  360 

—  Stone  Humble,  372 

—  Wasp,  359 

—  Wild.  368 

—  Wood  Humble,  371 
Beech-hopper  Beetle,  182 
Beech-hopper  Weevil,  182 


662 


ALPHABETICAL  INDEX. 


BEE 
Beetle,  6 

—  Antelope,  126 

—  Apple,  178 

—  Apricot,  175 

—  Armed,  202 

—  Asparagus,  206 

—  Bacon,  104 

_  Banded-Pill,  106 

—  Bearded-horn,  200 

—  Beech-hopper,  182 

—  Black,  238 

—  Black  Water,  108 

—  Bladder-nut,  209 

—  Blind,  102 

—  Blister,  158 

—  Bloody-nose,  208 

—  Bombardier,  23 

—  Bracken- clock,  114 

—  Burying,  87 

—  Cardinal,  US 

—  Cellar,  143 

—  Chafer,  112 

—  Churchyard,  143 

—  Click,  127 

—  Club-bearer,  222 

—  Coch-y-Bondhu,  114 

—  Cockchafer,  115 

—  Cockerbundy,  114 

—  Cocktail,  66 

—  Corn,  184 

—  Death -Watch,  141 

—  Devil's  Coach-horse,  77 

—  Dor,  118 

—  Drummer,  141 

—  DumbleDor,  118 

—  Eyed  Ladybird,  217 

—  False  Three-jointed,  215 

—  Flour,  146 

—  Flower-dweller,  178 

—  Flying  Watchman,  118 

—  Four-horn,  85 

—  Four-spot  Mimic,  97 

—  Garden,  31 

--  Glow-worm,  133 

—  Golden-apple,  208 

—  Grain  Lover,  184 

—  Grooved,  175,  346 

—  Ground,  31 

—  Hidden-head,  206 

—  Hidden-snout,  183 

—  Hive,  139 

—  Hopper,  211 

—  Horn-bug,  122 

—  Hornet,  74 

—  June-bug,  114 

—  King  of  the  Ants,  113 

—  Lady-bird,  216 

—  Lady-cow,  216 

—  Leaf-borer,  213 


BEE 
Beetle,  Leaper,  182 

—  Letter- writer,  190 

—  Little-berry,  201 

—  Long-horned,  192 

—  Meal-worm,  146 

—  Mimic,  97 

—  Musk,  193,  314 

—  Nut,  180,  346 

-  Oil,  154,  219,  363 

—  Pear,  167 

—  Pill,  105 

—  Eam-horned,  202 

—  Eed-footed,  162 

—  Eed  Neck,  81 

—  Rice,  184 

—  Rose,  112 

—  Rove,  66-,  225 

—  Sawyer,  193 

—  Sexton,  87 

—  Skipjack,  126 

—  Soldiers  and  Sailors,  137 

—  Spanish  Fly,  158 

—  Sparkler;  15 

—  Squeaker,  194 

—  Stag,  122 

—  Three-plated,  215 

—  Tiger,  15 

—  Timber-eating,  186 

—  Timberman,  199 

—  Tortoise   214 

—  Turnip-flea,  211 

—  Two-spot  Lady-bird,  218 

—  Wasp,  196 

—  Water,  54 

—  Whirligig,  62 

—  White-worm,  116 

—  Wood-devouring,  186 

—  Wood-eating,  186 
Bembidium,  50 
Bembidiidse,  50 
Berghmannian  Tortrix  Moth, 

507 

Berytidae,  562 

Bishops,  557 

Bishop's  Mitres,  557 

Bird-flies,  643 

Black  Ant,  339 

Black  Arches  Moth,  438 

Black  Beetles,  238 

Black-veined  White  Butter- 
fly, 391 

Black  Water  Beetle,  108 

Bladder-nut  Beetle,  209 

Blaps.  143 

Blaptidse,  143 

Blatta,  236 

Blind  Beetle,  102 

Blister  Beetle,  158 

Blood-worms,  607 


BUT 

Bloody-nose  Beetle,  208 
Blow-'fly,  632 
Bluebottle-fly,  632 
Blue  Butterfly,  408 
Boletobius,  73 
Bombardier  Beetle,  23 
Bombus,  368 
Bombycidfe,  441 
Bombycoidae,  474 
Bombylidse,  616 
Bombylius,  616 
Bombyx,  441 
Boreus,  282 
Bot-fly,  635 
Botys,  493 

Brachelytra,  66,  221,  225 
Brachinus,  23 
Brachocera.  601,  611 
Brachyderidse,  169 
Bracken  Clock,  114 
Brimstone  Butterfly,  393 
Brimstone  Moth,  448 
Broscus,  46 

Brown  Cloak  Moth,  508 
Brown  Dolly  Moth,  523 
Brown  Plush  Moth,  515 
Bruchus,  162 
Buff-tip  Moth,  468 
Bug,  Air,  556 

—  Bed,  556,  567 

—  Back-swimmer,  581 

—  Fly,  573 

—  Jumping,  578 

—  Land,  556 

—  Mealy,  549 

—  Plant,  564 

—  Scarlet,  556 

—  Water,  556,  581 
Buprestidse,  127 
Burnet  Moth,  433 
Burnished  Brass  Moth,  482 
Buryins  Beetle,  87 
Butterflies,  383 

—  Atalanta,  400 

—  Black-veined  White,  391 

—  Blue,  408 

—  Brimstone,  393 

—  Camberwell  Beauty,  396 

—  Chequered  Skipper,  411 

—  Clifden  Blue,  410 

—  Clouded  Yellow,  393 

—  Comma,  397 

—  Common     Tortoiseshell, 
399 

—  Copper,  408 

—  Dark  Green  Fritillary, 395 

—  Emperor  of  Morocco,  403 

—  Grayling,  407 

—  Grtat  C.)p[jer,  405,  409 


ALPHABETICAL   INDEX. 


663 


Butterfly,     Great     Tortoise- 
sholl,  398 

—  (ireen-chequered   White, 
392 

—  Green-veined  White,  392 

—  Grizzled  Skipper,  411 

—  Large  Cabbage,  390 

—  Marbled  White,  406 

—  Meadow  Brown.  407 

—  Northern  Brown,  407 

—  Orange  Tip,  392 

—  Painted  Ladv,  401 

—  Peacock,  403 

—  Purple  Emperor,  403 
- —  Red  Admiral,  399 

—  Ringlet,  407 

—  Skipper,  410 

—  Small  Tortoiseshell,  399 

—  Small  White,  391 

—  Speckled  Wood,  40" 

—  Swallow  Tail,  386 

—  Wall,  407 

—  White,  389 

—  White  Bordered,  396 

—  Wood  White.  392 
Button  Tortrix  Moth,  505 
Byrrhidse,  105 
Byrrhus,  106 

riABBAGE     CATERPIL- 
VJ     LAR,  325 

—  Fly,  630 

—  Moth,  476 

—  White  Butterflv,  325 
Cads,  287 
Caddis-fly,  287 

—  Grannums,  287 

—  Great,  288 

—  Lesser,  291 
Csecigenina,  561 
Calathus,  43 
Callidium,  195 
Callimorpha,  437 
Calopteryx,  277 
Calosoma,  36 

Camberwell  Beauty  Butter- 
fly, 396 

Campylus,  131 
Cannibal  Insects,  561 
Capsidse,  566 
CaraViidie,  31 
Carabus.  31 
Carder  Bee,  369 
Cardinal  Beetle,  148 
Carpet  Moths,  461 
Cnrpocapsa.  509 
Cassida,  214 
Cassidiidse,  213 
Catocala,  485 


Cellar  Beetle,  144 
Centrotus,  537 
Ccphalota,  600,  611 
Cerambycidae,  193 
Cerambvx,  193 
Cerceris',  346 
Cercopidpe,  536 
Cercopis,  537 
Cerura,  466 
Cercyon,  111 
Cetonia,  112 
Cetoniidge,  112 
Chafers.  112 
Chalcididae,  328 
Chequered   Skipper   Butter- 
fly, 411 
Cheilidie,  498 
Cheimatobia,  454 
Chelonia,  437 
Chelonida;,  437 
Chelonus,  325 
Chesias,  461 
Chigoe  Flea,  595 
Chilidse.  498 
Chilo,  498 

Chimney-sweeper  Moth,  462 
China  Mark  Moth,  492 
Chironomus,  607 
Chlseniidse,  41 
Chloroperla,  266 
Chcerocampa,  422 
Cholevina,  94 
Chrysididse,  330 
Chrysis.  331 
Chrysomela,  209 
Chrysomelidse,  208 
Chrysopa,  279 
Churchyard  Beetle,  143 
Churr-worm,  246 
Cicada,  534 
Cicadidfe,  534 
Cicindela,  14 
Cicindelidse,  14 
CidariH,  460 
Cilissa,  358 
Cillenium,  50 
Cimbex,  299 
Cinnabar  Moth,  434 
Cionus,  173 
Clavieornes,  86 
Claviger.  222 
Clear-wing  Moth,  427 
Cleg  Fly,  614 
Cleonidse,  170 
Cleonus,  170 
Cleonymus.  328 
Cleridffi.  1.38 
Clerus,  138 
Click  Beetle,  127 


CRI 

Clifden  Blue  Butterfly,  410 
Clifden  Nonpareil  Moth,  480 
Clivina,  25 

Clothes  Moth,  440,  490 
Clouded  Yellow  Butterfly,  .393 
Club-bearer  Beetle,  222 
Clytus,  196 
Cnemidotus,  61 
Cnephasia,  507 
Coccidae.  550 
Coccinella,  217 
Cocci nellidse,  216 
Coccus,  549 
Cochineal  Insect.  552 
Cochleoctonus,  136 
Coch-y-Bondhu  Beetle,  114 
Cockroach,  225 

—  Domestic,  236 

—  Field,  239 
Cockchafer,  115 
Coekspurs,  287 
Cocktail  Beetles,  66 
Cod-baits,  287 
Codlin  Moth,  509 
Cceliodes,  183 
Coelioxys,  361 
Coleophora,  520 
Coleoptera,  6 
Colias,  393 
Colydiidffi,  101 
Colydium,  101 
Comma  Butterfly,  397 
Confluent  Barred  Moth,  519  _ 
Conopidse,  626 

Conops,  626 

Convolvulus  Hawk  Moth,  42 1 

Copper  Butterfly,  408 

Coranus,  574 

Cordulegaster,  276 

Coreidse,  559 

Coreus,  559  ' 

Corixa,  584 

Corn  Beetle,  184 

—  Weevil,  184 
Cossus,  430 
Cow-dung  Fly,  633 
Coxa,  12 
Crabro,  345 
Crabronidse,  345« 
Crambites,  487,  497 
Crambus,  497 
Crane  Fly,  607 

Cream  Short-Cloak  Moth,  509 
Creophilus,  76 
Cricket,  240 

—  Cliurr-worm,  246 

—  Croaker,  246 

—  Earth-crab.  246 

—  Eve-churr,  246 


664 


ALPHABETICAL  INDEX. 


CRI 
Cricket,  Field,  243 

—  House,  241 

—  Jarr-worm,  246 

—  Mole,  241,  246 

—  Wood,  245 

Crimson  Speckled  Moth,  436 
Crimson  Tiger  Moth,  437 
Crioceridae,  205 
Crioceris,  205,  207,  214 
Croiiker  Cricket,  246 
Crcesus,  308 
Cryptophagidse,  102 
Cryptophagus,  10:^ 
Cryptocephalidse,  206 
Cryptoeephaliis,  206 
Cryptorhynchidse,  183 
Cryptus,  322 
Cuckoo-bee,  360 
Cuckoo-spit,  537,  540 
Cuculinse,  359 
Culex,  601 
Culicidae,  601 
Currant    Clear-wing     Motb, 

427 
Currant  Moth,  450 
Cuspida'es,  463 
Cychrub,  40 
Cydnidse,  557 
Cj'dnus,  557 
Cymbidse,  503 
Cynipidse,  315 
Cynips,  316 


DADDY  -  LONG  -  LEGS, 
599,  601,  607 

Dark  Crimson  Under  wing 
Moth.  486 

Dark  Green  Fritillary  But- 
terfly, 395 

DaajVpoda.  358 

Death's  -  Head  Moth,  322, 
413 

Death-Wat ch  Beetle,  141 

De  Geerean  Moth,  518 

Deilephila,  417 

Deiopeia,  436 

Delta  Moth,  487 

Deltoides,  487 

Demoiselle  Dragon-fly,  277 

Depressaria,  515 

Dermaptera   223 

Derraestes,  103 

Dermestidse,  103 

Devil's  Coach-Horse  Beetle, 
77 

Diamond  Spot  Moth,  496 

Diaperidse,  145 

Diaperis,  145 


Dicranura,  463,  466 

Dicranuridae,  463 

Dictyopteryx,  507 

Digger,  25 

Diggers,  335,  341 

Diniera,  542 

Diploptera,  348 

Dipthera,  474 

Diptera,  597 

Domesticated  Bees,  368 

Domestic  Cockroach,  236 

Donacia,  203 

Donaciadse,  203 

Dor  Beetle,  118 

Dorcus,  124 

Double-Bar  Mial  Moth,  490 

DouVjle-line  Moth,  475 

Dragon-fly,  263,  2G9 

Dragon-fly,  Demoiselle,  277 

Dragon-fly,    Horse    Stingers, 

269 
Drepanulse,  463 
Drilus,  135 
Dromius,  21 
Drone  Fly,  017 
Drummer  Beetle,  141 
Dumble  Bee,  368 
Durable-Dor  Beetle,  118 
Dung  Fly,  633 
Dyschirius,  30 
Dyticidie,  54 
Dyticus,  54,  271 


];;ARED  Hopper,  537 
J    Earth  Crab  Cricket,  246 
Earwig,  225 

—  Giant,  230 

—  Little,  228 
Eight-spot  Moth,  508 
K  later,  129 

Elegant  Grannuin,  292 
Elephant  Hawk-Moth,  422 
Elmiua^,  107 
Elmis,  107 
Emperor  Moth,  444 
Emperor  of  Morocco  Butter- 
fly, 403 
Endomychidc-e,  219 
Engis,  215 
Ennomidfe,  448 
Ennychidse,  491 
Ennychrus,  95 
Entomology,  1 
Entomophaga,  314 
Ephemera,  266 
Ephemeridae,  266 
Ephippiphora,  512 
Epimera,  113 


Episterna,  11 
Erebia,  407 
Eriosoraa,  547 
Eristalis,  617 
Erotylidse,  215 
Errhirinidse,  176 
Eubolidffi,  461 
Eucera,  .360,  367 
Euchelia,  435 
Euchelidse,  435 
Eucnemidse,  129 
Eumenes,  348 
Eumenidse,  348 
Euplexoptera,  227 
Eupoda,  203 
Evaniidse,  318 
Eve-churr,  246 
Eyed  Hawk  Moth,  419 
Eyed  Lady  Bird,  217 
Eyes  of  Insects,  10 


FALAGRI4,  69 
False  -  three  -  jointed 
Beetle,  215 
Femur,  12 
Feroniidfe,  44 
Fidonidse,  454 
Field  Cricket,  243 

—  Cockroach,  239 
Finch  Fly,  640 
Flakelet  Moth,  520 
Flame  Moth,  459 
Flea,  591 

—  Chigoe,  595 

—  Common,  595 

—  Jigger,  595 

—  Mole,  595 
Flesh  Fly,  632 
Flour  Beetle,  146.  416 
Flower-dweller  Beetle,  178 
Fly,  Baker,  632 

—  Blow,  632 

—  Blue-bottle,  632 

—  Bot,  635 

—  Bug,  573 

—  Cabbage,  630 

—  Cleg,  614 

—  Crane,  6.. 7 

—  Cow-dung,  633 

—  Drone,  617 

—  Dung,  633 

—  Finch,  640 

—  Flesh,  632 

—  Forked  Chameleon,  611 

—  Gad,  614 

—  Great  Breeze,  614 

—  Great  Hornet,  617 

—  Green-bottle,  630 


ALPHABETICAL   INDEX. 


ee5 


FLT 
Fly,  Hawk,  623 

—  Horse,  641 

—  House,  631 

—  Hovercr,  617 

—  Humble  Bee,  616 

—  lolineumon,  492 

—  Lettuce,  630 

—  Long-moutlied,  614 

—  Meat,  629 

—  Shopp,  637 

—  Spider,  639 

—  Swallow.  642 

—  Wurble-Breeze,  637 
Flying  Watchman,  118 
Forfieula,  226 

Forked  Chameleon  Fly,  6 1 1 
Formica,  336 
Formicidae,  335 
Four-horn  Beetle,  85 
Four  -  spot    Mimic     Beetle, 

97 
Frog  Hopper.  537,  540 
Frog-spit,  537 
Fulgoridse,  536 


G IAD-FLY,  614,  637 
r     Gall-fly,  295,  315 
Galleria,  500 
Galcrucidae,  210 
Garden  Beetle,  31 
Gastcrophilus,  636 
Gastropacha,  442 
Genuinse,  475 
Geocorisa,  556 
Geodephaga,  14 
Geometra,  450 
Geometrse,  446 
Geoiuetridse,  450 
Geotrupes,  118 
Geotnipidse,  117 
German  Wasp,  353 
Giant  Earwitr,  230 
Gibbiura,  141 

Gigantic  Veneer  Motii,  499 
Glow-worm,  133 
Gnat,  601 
Gnorimus,  114 
Goat-Moth,  365,  430 
Golden-Apple  Beetle.  208 
Golden-eye  Fly,  279 
Golden    Pigmv    Moth,    515, 

525 
Gold-Spangle  Moth,  483 
Gonatoceri,  162 
Gonepteryse.  393 
Gonoptera,  484 
Gonopteridae,  484 
Gracilia,  197 


Gracillaria,  519 
Grain-lover  Beetle,  184 
Grannums,  287 
Grasshopper,  247 

—  Great  green,  247 

—  Tree,  249 

—  Wartbiter,  249 
Grayling  Butterfly,  407 
Great  Breeze  Fly,  614 

—  Caddis  Fly,  288 

—  Copper  Butterfly,  405,  409 

—  Green  Grasshopper,  247 

—  Hornet  Fly,  617 

—  Tortoiseshell      Butterfly, 
398 

Green  Blight,  542 

—  Bottle  Fly,  630 

—  Cheequered  White  Butter- 
fly, 392 

—  Drake  May-fly,  268 

—  Long-horn  Moth,  519 
— shaded  Honey-comb  Moth, 

502- 

—  Silver- lines  Moth.  504 
— veined    White   Butterfly, 

392 
Grey  Drake  May-fly,  268 

—  Scalloped  Bar  Moth,  454 
Grizzled    Skipper    Butterfly, 

411 
Ground  Beetles,  31 
Grooved  Weevil,  175,  346 
Gryllidse,  247 
Gryllotalpa.  245 
Gyrinidse,  54,  62 
Gyrinus,  63 
Gyropheena,  71 


HADENID^,  481 
Hiiemobora,  643 
Halias,  504 
Halicti,  356 
Halictus,  355 
Haliplus,  61 
Halticae.  578 
Halticida;,  210,  211 
Halticocoris,  578 
Halticocoridse,  578 
Harpalus,  48 
Harpalidse,  48 
Hawk  Moth,  413 
—  Fly,  623 
Hazel  Motl|,  504 
Helodes,  209 
Hemerobiidse.  279 
Hen<staridiB.  5G3 
Henestaris,  56'< 
Herald  Moth,  484 


HYP 

Hermit  Crab,  290 
Hesperidse,  410 
Heterocera,  412 
Heteroceridae,  107 
Heterocerus,  107 
Heterogyna,  335 
Heteromera,  143 
Ueteroptera,  553 
Hibernia,  452 
Hidden-head  Beetle,  206 

snout  Beetle,  183 

snout  Weevil,  183 

Hill  Ant,  336 
Hippobosca,  641 
Hippolioscidse,  638 
Hive  Bee,  375 
Hive  Beetle,  139 
Hister,  97 
Histeridae,  97 
Homaloptera,  638 
Homalota,  71 
Homoptera,  531 
Honey-comb  Moth,  499 
Honey  Moth,  502 
Hoop-shaver  Bee,  365 
Hopper  Beetle,  211 
Hoppers,  537 
Horse  Ant,  336 
Horse  Fly,  641 
Horse  Stinger,  269 
Horn  Bug,  122 
Hornet,  295,  354 
Hornet  Beetle,  74 
Horn-tailed  Saw-fly,  311 
House  Cricket,  241 
House  Fly,  631 
Hoverer  Fly,  617 
Humble  Bee,  341,  368 
Humble-bee  Fly.  616 
Humnipl  Bee,  368 
Humming-bird  Hawk  Moth, 

413 
Humming-bird  Moth,  422 
Hybernidae,  452 
Hydradephaga,  53 
Hydrocampa,  492 
Hydroeorisa,  556,  581 
Hydrometra,  577 
Hydrometridae,  575 
Hydrophilidae,  108 
Hydroiis,  108 
H3-droporus,  60 
Hydropsyche.  290 
Hylesinidae,  186 
Hylesinus,  186 
Hylotoma,  302 
Hymenoptera,  203,  314 
Hypena,  448 
Hyponomeuta,  516 


Gi;6 


ALPHABETICAL  INDEX. 


ICH 

]  CHNEUMON-FLY,    295, 
I      320,  492 
Ichneumonidie,  320 
IdolocoridfE,  .'^65 
Insect  Cannibals,  361 
Insect,  Definition  of,  2 
Ipsinse,  99 
Iron  Prominent  Moth,  470 


JARR-WORM,  246 
Jigger  Flea,  595 
Jumping  Bug,  578 
June  Bug,  114 


T/^ENTISH  BEE,  358 
lY.     Killing  Beetles,  145 
King  of  the  Ants,  113 


LABIA,  228 
Labidura,  230 
Labium,  8 

Laee-wing  Flj,  263,  279 
Lachnus,  548 
Lac  Insect,  551 
Lady-bird,  216 
Lady-cow,  216 
Lamellicornes,  112 
Lampyridae,  133 
Lampyris,  133 
Land  Bugs,  556 
Lantern  Flies,  536 
Lappet  Moth,  442 
Large  Cabbage  Butterfly,  390 
Large  Emerald  Moth,  450 
Larger    Yellow    Underwing 

Moth,  479 
Large   White  Plume  Moth, 
,      528 
Larridse,  343 
Lasiocampa,  44] 
Laurel  Bottle,  26 
Leaf-borer  Beetle,  213 
Leaf-cutter  Bee,  361,  365 
Leaper  Beetle,  182 
Lebia,  20 
Lebiadte,  19 
Ledra,  538 
Lepidoptera,  381 
Leptocerus,  292 
Lesser  Broad  Border  Moth, 

478 
Lesser  Caddis  Fly,  291 
Lesser  Pearl  Moth,  495 
Letter- writer  Beetle,  190 
Letter-writer  Weevil,  190 
Lettuce  Fly,  630 


LEU 

Leucania,  475 
Lecanidse,  475 
Leucophasia,  392 
LibeUula,  275,  277 
Libellulidae,  269 
Libellulides,  275 
Lilac  Moth,  518 
Lime  Blight,  542 

—  Hawk  Moth,  420 
Limnephilus,  292 
Liparis,  438 
LithoeoUetes,  523 
LithocoUetidse,  523 
Little-berry  Beetle,  201 
Little  Earwig,  228 
Little  Ermine  Moth,  516 
Little  Waggoner  Moth,  522 
Lixus,  177 

Lobster  Moth,  468 
Locust,  251 

—  Migratory,  251 
Long-horned  Beetle,  192 
Longicornes,  191 
Long-horned  Moths,  518 
Long-mouthed  Fly,  614 
Looper  Moth,  446 
Lopha,  51 

Lophyrus,  309 
Louse,  Bat,  644 
Lozotcenia,  506 
Lucanidse,  122 
Lueanus.  122 
Luridse,  491 
Lycsenidse,  408 
Lycoperdina,  219 
Lyda.  310 
Lytta,  158 


MACROGLOSSA,  422 
Magpie  Moth,  450 
Malacodermi,  133 
Mamestra,  476 
Many-cleft  Plume  Moth,  529 
Many  Plume  Moth,  429 
Marbled  White  Butterfly,  406 
Margaritia,  494 
Marsh  Carpet  Moth,  460 
May  Fly,  266 

—  Common,  266 

—  Green  Drake,  208 

—  Grey  Drake,  268 
Meadow  Bee,  369 
Meadow  Brown  Bi\tterfly,  407 
Meal  Moth,  489 

—  Worm,  146 
Mealy  Bugs,  649 
Meat-tly,  629 
Meconema,  249 


M;egachi]e,  365 
Melandrya,  148 
Melandryadse,  146 
Melanippe,  457 
Melanthia,  457 
Melecta,  362 
Melia,  502 
Meligethes,  99 
Mellinus,  344 
Meloe,  154 
Melolontha,  115 
Melolonthidae,  115 
Melophagus,  638 
Merodon,  620 
Mesothorax.  11 
Metasternum,  11 
Mezium,  141 
Micralymma,  84 
Micro-coleoptera,  220 
Microgaster,  325,  391 
Micro-lepidoptera,  575 
Migratory  Locust,  251 
Mimic  Beetles,  97 
Mole  cricket,  241,  245 
Mole-flea,  595 
Molytes,  171 
Monomera,  549 
Mordellidae,  150 
Moths' 384,  412 

—  Afternoon  Tortrix,  507 

—  Angle  Shades,  481 

—  Argent  and  Sable,  457 

—  Banded  Snout,  488 

—  Beautiful  Carpet,  457 

China  Mark,  493 

Golden-Y,  483 

Snout,  488 

—  Berghmannian      Tortrix, 
607 

—  Black  Arches,  438 

—  Brimstone,  448 

—  Brown  Cloak,  508 
Dolly,  523 

—  — plush,  515 

—  Buff-tip,  468 

—  Burnet,  433 

—  Burnished  Brass,  482 

—  Button  Tortrix,  505 

—  Cabbage,  476 

—  Carpet,  461 

—  Chimney  Sweeper,  462 

—  China,  492 

—  Cinnabar,  434 

—  ("lear-wing,  427 

—  Clifden  Nonpariel,  486 

—  Clothes,  440,  490 

—  Codlin,  609 

—  Common  Tiger,  437 

—  Confluent  Barred,  519 


•ALPHABETICAL   INDEX. 


667 


MOT 

Moth,  Convolvulus  IIiiwk,421 

—  Cream  Short  Cloak,  o09 

—  Ci'imson  Speckled,  436 

—  Crimson  Tiger,  437 

—  Currant  Clear-wing,  427, 
4o0 

—  Dark  Crimson  Underwing. 
486 

—  Death's  Head,  322,  413 

—  De  Geerean,  518 

—  Delta,  487 

—  Diamond  Spot,  496 

—  Double-bar,  490 

—  Double-line,  475 

—  Eight-spot,  508 

—  Elephant  Hawk,  422 

—  Emperor,  444 

—  Eyed  Hawk,  419 

—  Flakelet,  520 

—  Flame,  459 

—  Gigantic  Veneer,  499 

—  Goat.  365,  430 

—  Golden  Pigmy,  515,  525 

—  Gold  Spangle^  483 

—  Green  Long-horn,  519 
-shaded    Honeycomb, 

502 
Silver-lines,  504 

—  Grev  Scalloped  Bar,  454 

—  Hawk,  413 

—  Hazel.  504 

—  Herald,  484 

—  Honey,  502 

—  Honeycomb,  500 

—  HummingBird,  413,  422 

—  Iron  Prominent,  470 

—  Lappet,  442 

—  Large  Emerald,  450 

—  Larger     Yellow    Under- 
wing, 479 

—  Large  White  Plume,  528 

—  Lesser  broad  border,  478 

—  Lesser  Pearl,  495 

—  Lilac,  518 

—  Lime  Hawk,  420 

—  Little  Ermine,  576 

—  Little  "Waggoner,  522 

—  Lobster,  468 

—  Long-horn,  518 

—  Looper,  446 

—  Magpie,  450 

—  Many-cleft  Plume,  529 

—  Many-plume,  529 

—  Marsh  Carpet,  460 

—  Meal,  489 

—  Mother  of  Pearl,  495 
— '  Mottled  Umber,  452 

—  Narrow  -  bordered       Bee 
Hawk,  425 


MOT 
Moth,  Notchwing,  506 

—  November,  457 

—  Oak,  506 

—  Oak  Beauty,  449 

—  Oak  Eggar,  441 

—  Peach  blossom,  473 

—  Pea  green,  505 

—  Pearl,  493 

—  Pearl-streak  Veneer,  497 

—  Phantom,  528 

—  Pigmy,  526 

—  Pink-barred  Yellow,  481 

—  Plume,  527 

—  Plumeless  Plume,  528 

—  Poplar  Hawk,  419 

—  Poplar  Hornet  Clearwing, 
426 

—  Privet,  421 

—  Prominent,  470 

—  Puss,  463 

—  Red  Feather,  522 

—  Red  underwing,  485 

—  Rose  plume,  529 

—  Royal  Mantle,  458 

—  Rust  Veneer,  496 

—  Sallow  Kitten,  466 

—  Scarce  Merveil  du  Jour, 
474 

—  Silver  lines,  504 

—  Tissue,  460 

—  Shoulder  stripe,  459 

—  Silver    Ground     Carpet, 
458 

lines,  503 

Y,  413 

—  Single  blotch,  542 

—  Six-spotted  Burnet,  433 

—  Skeleton,  528 

—  Small  Tabby,  491 

—  Snout,  488 

—  Sphinx,  412 

—  Spurge  Hawk,  417 

—  Stone  plume,  529 

—  Straw  Oblique  Bar.  505 

—  Streak,  461 

—  Swallow-tailed,  447 

—  Tabbv,  490 

—  Thorn,  448 

—  Thousand  plume,  529 

—  Tiger,  437 

—  Transparent  Burnet,  434 

—  Turnip,  477 

—  Twenty  plume,  529 

—  Twisters,  503 

—  Vapourer,  439 

—  Wseberian  Tortrix,  513 

—  Wainscot  Veneer,  498 

—  White  spot,  498 

—  Winter,  454 


NTS 
Moth,  Wood  Leopard,  428 

—  Yellow  Underwing,  478 

—  Zoegian  Tortrix,  513 
Mother  of  Pearl  Moth,  495 
Mottled  Umber  Moth,  452 
Musca,  629 

Museida>,  627 
Musk  Beetle,  193,  3  14 
Mutilla,  341 
Mutillidfp,  340 
Mycetophagidse,  103 
Mycetophagus,  103 
Mymar,  329 
Myrmedonia,  71 
Myrmica,  340 


NAKED  BEES,  539 
Narrow-bordered  Bee 

Hawk  Moth,  425 
Naucoris,  586 
Nebria,  35 
Necrodes,  92 
Necrophaga,  86 
Necrophorus,  90 
Neides,  562 
Nemasoma,  101 
Nematus,  309 
Nemocera,  600 
Nemoura,  266 
Nepa,  585 
Nepticula,  525 
Nepidse,  585 
Net-sweep.  27 
Neuroptera,  261 
Nigger,  Turnip  fly,  303 
Niptus.  141 
Nitidula.  98 
Nitidulidse,  98 
Noctu»,  463,  471,  482 
Noctuidse,  477 
Nomada,  359,  361 
Northern    Brown    Butterfly, 

407 
Norway  Wasp,  353 
Notacantha.  611 
Notaphus,  51 
Notiophiius,  34 
Notch-wiag  Moth,  506 
Notodonta,  470 
Notodontidse,  470 
Notonecta,  582 
Notoneetidae,  581 
November  Moth,  457 
Nut  Beetle.  180,  346 
Nut  Weevil,  180,  346 
Nyeteribiidse,  643 
Nyssonidae,  344 


668 


ALPHABETICAL  INDEX. 


OAK 

OAK    BEAUTY    MOTH, 
449 

—  Eggar  Moth,  441 

—  Moth,  505 
Ocypus,  77 

Odynerus,  322,  331,  350 
(Edipoda,  251 
(Estridie,  635 
(Estrus,  637 

Oil  Beetle.  154,  219,  363 
Omalidfe,  83 
Omalium,  84 
Omosita,  98 
Oporabia,  457 
Orange-tip  Buttei-fly,  392 
Orchesia,  147 
Orchestes,  182 
Orectochilus,  65 
Orgyia,  439 
Ornithomyia,  640 
Orobites,"l84 
Orthocephalus,  566 
Orthoceri,  162 
Orthoptera,  225,  233 
Orthosidse,  481 
Osmia,  363 
Osmylus,  281 
Otiorhynchidse,  173 
Otiorhynchus,  173 
Ourapteryx,  447 
Oxypoda,  70 


PACHYTYLUS,  251 
Psederidse,  81 
Painted  Lady  Butterfly,  401 
Palpi,  8 
Panorpa.  282 
Panorpidse,  282 
Panurgus,  359 
Papilio,  386 
Papilionidse,  386 
Paraptera,  11 
Parnidse.  107 
Pavonia,  444 

Peach-Blossom  Moth,  473 
Peacock  Butterfly,  403 
Pea-green  Moth,  505 
Pear  Beetle,  167 
Pearl  Moth,  493 
Pearl- streak    Veneer    Moth, 

49G 
Ppctinicornes,  122 
Pelohius,  62 
Pemphredon,  324 
Pentatoma,  578 
Perla,  263 
Perlidc^,  263 
Peronea,  505 


PEZ 
I  Pezomaehus,  323 
i  Phantom  Moth,  528 
I  Philanthidie,  346 

Philonthns,  78 

Philhydrida,  108 

Phlogophora,  481 

Phlseothrips,  259 

Phora,  634 

Phasgonura,  248 

Phryganea,  288 

Phyllopertha,  114 

Phyllotreta.  211 

PhytocoridBe,  564 

Phytoeoris,  564 

Phytonomus,  172 

Pieridse,  389 

Pieris,  390 

Piestidse,  85 

Pigmy  Moths,  526 

Pill  Beetle,  105 

Pimpla,  323 

Pine  Saw-fly,  309 

Pink-barred    Yellow    Moth, 
481 

Piper,  287 

Pissodes,  177 

Plant  Bug,  564 

Plant  Lice,  542 

Platyrhinus,  163 

Plumeless  Plume  Moth,  528 

Plume  Moth,  527 

Plusia,  482 

Plusidfe,  432 

Pogonocerus,  200 

Pogonus,  41 

Polyomraatus,  409 

Pompilidae,  341 

Pompilus,  341 

Poplar  Hawk  Moth,  419 

Poplar    Hornet    Clear-wing 
Moth,  426 

Porcupine  Ant-eater,  595 

Prasocuris,  209 

Prionus,  192 

Pristonychus,  42 

Privet  Moth,  421 

Proctotrupidge,  329 

Prognatha,  So 

Prominent  Moth,  470 

Pselaphidre,  221 

Pselaphinse,  221 

Pselaphus,  221 

Pseudo-Bombyces,  463 

Pseudotrimera,  215 

Psylliodes,  213 

Pterophori,  503,  515,  527 

Pterophorus,  528  ' 

Pterostichus,  45 

Ptinidae,  139 


SAL 

Pfcyelus,  540 

Pulex,  595 

Pulicidse,  591 

Pulverulentse,  489 

Purple    Emperor    Butterfly, 

403 
Puss  Moth,  463 
Pygcera,  468 
Pyralides,  487,  489,  496 
Pyralis,  490 
Pyrochoa,  148 
Pyrochroide,  148 
Pyrrhocoris,  560,  561 


QUADRIFID.^,  482 
Quedius,  74,  338 


RAM-HORNED  BEETLE, 
205 
Ranatra,  586 
Raphidiidae,  278 
Rat-tailed  Maggot,  619 
Red  Admiral  Butterfly,  399 
Red  Ant,  340 
Red  Feather  Moth,  522 
Red -footed  Beetle,  162 
Red-neck,  51 

Red  Underwing  Moth,  485 
Reduviidse,  573 
Reduvius,  573 
Rhagium,  200 
Rhaphidia,  278 
Rhipiphorus,  151 
Rhizophagus,  99 
Rhopalocera,  383 
Rhynchites,  166 
Rhyparochromidse,  562 
Rhyparochromus,  562 
Rhyssa,  324 
Rice  Beetle,  184 
Rice  Weevil,  184 
Ringlet  Butterfly,  407 
Rose  Beetle,  112 
Rose  Plume  Moth,  529 
Rose  Saw-fly,  302 
Rove  Beetle,  66,  225 
Royal  Mantle  Moth,  458 
Ruby-tailed  fly,  330 
Rumia,  448 

Rust  Veneer  Moth,  496 
Rutelidse,  115 


SAGRID.E,  203 
Sailors.  137 
Sallow  Kitten  Moth,  466 
Saltatoria,  240 


ALPHABETICAL  INDEX. 


669 


SAN 
Sand  Wasp,  331 
Saturnia,  444 
Satyridie,  406 
Satyrus,  407 
Saw-bearers,  297 
Saw  Fly,  'Ido 

—  Horn-tailed,  311 

—  Pine.  309 

—  Eose,  302 
Sawyer-Beetle,  193 
Scseva,  624 

Scale  Insect,  549,  551 
Scarce     Merveil     du     Joxir 
Moth,  474 

—  Silver  lines  Moth.  504 

—  Tissue  Moth,  460 
Scaritidse,  24 
Scarlet  Bug,  560 
Scarlet  Hopper,  539 
Seatophaga,  633 
Schizocerus,  303 
Scodiona,  454 
Schoenobius,  499 
Scolytus,  186,  433 
Scorpion  Fly,  282 
Scotosia,  460 
Scutellaridae,  578 
Scydnisenidae,  95 
Scydmsenus,  95 
Sehirus,  557 
Selandria,  307 
Semasia,  313 
Sericostoma,  289 
Serricornes,  126 
Serrifera,  297 
Sesia,  426 
Sesiadse,  426 
Setting  Beetles,  29 
Setting  Insects,  645 
Sexton  Beetle,  87 
Sheep-fly,  637 
Sheep-tick.  638 
Shoulder-Stripe  Moth,  459 
Silk,  453 

Silpha,  93 
Silphidae,  86 
Silphinae,  86 

Silver-Ground  Carpet  Moth, 
458 

—  -lines  Moth.  503 

—  Y  Moth,  483 
Single-blotch  Moth,  512 
Sirex,  312 

Sitaris,  159 

Sitones,  169 

Sitopbilus,  184 

Six-spotted     Burnet     Moth, 

433 
Skeleton  Moth,  528 


Skipjack  Beetle,  126 
Skipper  Butterfly,  410 
Slug  Worm,  307 
Small  Tabby  Moth,  491 
Small   Tortoiseshell   Butter- 
fly, 399 
Small  White  Butterfly,  391 
Smerinthus,  419 
Snake  Fly,  278 
Snout  Moth,  488 
Social  Ants,  335 

—  Bees,  348,  368 

—  Wasps,  350 
Soldiers,  137 
Solitary  Ants,  340 

—  Bees,  348,  355,  360 

—  Wasps,  348 
Sparkler,  15 

Speckled    Wood     Butterfly, 

407 
Spiculifera,  315 
Spider  Fly,  639 
Spilodes,  495 
Spilonota,  508 
Sphseridiidse,  110 
Sphingidse,  412 
Sphinx,  421 
Sphinx  Moths,  412 
Sphodrus,  42 
Spurge  Hawk  Moth,  417 
Squeaker  Beetle,  194 
Stag  Beetle,  122 
Staphylinidse,  75 
Staphylinus,  76 
Staurnpus,  468 
Stenidge,  83 
Stenolophus,  49 
Stenocephalus,  560 
Stenopteryx,  496,  642 
Stenus,  83 
Sternoxi,  126 
Sternum,  11 
Stilicus,  81 
Sting-bearer,  297 
Stirps,  614 
Stone  Fly,  263 

—  Yellow  Sally,  266 
Stone  Humble  Bee,  372 
Stone-plume  Moth,  529 
Strangalia,  202 
Stratiomys.  611 

Straw    Oblique    Bar    Moth, 

505 
Straw  Worms,  287 
Streak  Moth,  461 
Strepsiptera,  156 
Stylups,  157,  357 
Sugaring,  472 
Swallow  Fly,  642 


TRI 

Swallow-tail  Butterfly,  386 
Swallow-tailed  Moth,  447 
Swollen-leg  Locust,  251 
Syrphidie,  617 
Syrphus,  623 
Sysiellonotus,  565 


'■PABANUS.  614 
1     Tabby  Moth,  490 
Tachina,  628 
Taehyporidae,  73 
Tanagra,  462 
Tanystoma,  614 
Tarsus,  12 
Tarus,  22 
Teleas,  329 
Telephoridse,  137 
Telephorus,  137 
Tenebrio,  146 
Tenebrionidae,  146 
Tentiiredinidae,  297 
Tenthredo,  308 
Teras,  506 
Terehrantia,  297 
Termites,  295 
Tetramera,  161 
Thamnotrizon,  251 
Thoracocephala,  638 
Thorn-])ack.  611 
Thorn  Moth,  448 
Thousand-plume  Moth,  529 
Three-plated  Beetle,  215 
Thrips,  260 
Th^-atira,  473 
Thysanoptera,  257 
Tiger  Beetle,  15 
Tiger  Moth,  437 
Timarcha,  208 
Timber  eating  Beetles,  186 
Timberman,  199 
Tipula,  607 
Tipulidffi,  601,  607 
Tinese,  503.  515 
Tischeria,  522 
Tomicus,  190 
'Tortoise  Beetle,  214 
Tortrices,  503 
Tortricidae,  504 
Tortrix,  504 
Transformation,  4 
Transparent    Burnet    Moth, 

434 
Tree  Grasshopper,  249 
Tree  Wasp,  353 
Trichiosoma,  300 
Trichoptera,  285 
Trichopteridae,  220 
Trichopteryx,  220 


670 


AJLPHABETICAL  INDEX. 


Triepphora,  539 
Triphidse,  474 
Trimera,  534 
Triplax,  215 
Trogus,  322 
Tryphsena.  478 
Trvphon,  321 
Tube  Bearers,  330 
Tubulifera,  330 
Turnip  Flea.  211 

—  Flj,  303 

—  Moth,  477 
Twenty-plume  Moth.  529 
Twisting  Moths,  502 
Two-spot  Lady  Bird,  218 
Tychius,  181 
Typhoeus,  119 


XTRAPTERID^,  447 
J      Urapteryx,  447 
Uroceridse,  311 
Urocerus,  312 


TJANESSA,  396 
y       Vanessidre,  394 
Vapourer  Moth,  439 
Velleius,  74 
Verlusia,  559 
Vespa,  350 
Vespidse,  350 
Volucella,  622 
Viviparous  Beetle,  35 

"ITT^BERIAN         Tortnx 
VV      Moth,  513 
Wainscot  Veneer  Moth,  497 


Wall  Butterfly,  407 
Wartbiter  Grasshopper,  249 
Wasp,  295,  348 

—  Bees,  359 

—  Beetle,  191 

—  Common,  351 

—  German,  353 

—  Norway,  353 

—  Sand,  331 

—  Social,  350 

—  Solitary,  348 

—  Tree,  353 
Watchman,  Flying,  118 
Water  Beetle,  54 

—  Boatmen,  556,  511 

—  Bugs,  556,  581 

—  Fleas,  556 

—  Gnats,  575 

—  Measurers,  575 

—  Scorpion,  556,  595 
Weevils,  161 

—  Apple,  178 

—  Apricot,  175 

—  Beech-hopper,  182 

—  Corn,  184 

—  Flower-dweller,  178 

—  Grain-lover,  188 

—  Grooved,  175,  346 

—  Hidden-Snout,  183 

—  Leaper,  182 

—  Letter--writer,  190 

—  Nut,  180.  346 

—  Pear,  167 

—  Eed-footed,  162 

—  Rice,  184 

—  Wood-eating,  186 
Whirligig  Beetle,  62 
White  Ant,  295 


White-bordered       Butterfly, 
396 

—  Butterfly,  389 
spot  Moth,  491 

—  Worm,  115 
Wild  Bee.  368 
Willow  Fly,  266 
Winfer  Moth,  454 
Wireworm,  130 
Wood  Ant,  336 

—  Cricket,  245 

—  -eating  Beetles,  186 

—  Humble  Bee,  371 

—  Leopard  Moth.  428 

—  White  Butterfly,  392 
Woolly  Bear,  438 
Wurble  Breeze-fly,  637 


XANTHIA,  481 
Xantholiuus,  81 
Xantholinidse,  80 
Xylophagi,  186 


YELLOW  ANT,  340 
Yellow-Sally  Stone  Fly, 
266 
Yellow     Underwing    Moth, 
478 


ZEUZERA,  428 
Zeuzeridse.  427 
Zoegian  Tortrix  Moth,  513 
Zygsenia,  433 
Zygaenidse,  433 


"It  may  bb  said  to  teach  Natural  History  through  the  Bible,  and   ro  explain  thb 
Bible  through  Natural  Historv." — Lomion  Gazette. 


Bible  Animals: 

Being  a  Description  of  every  Living  Creature  mentioned  in 
the  Scriptures,  from  tJie  Ape  to  tJie  Coral. 

By  the  Rev.  J.  G.  WOOD,  M.A.,  F.L.S.,  &c., 

Author  of  "  Homes  Without  Hands,"  "  Common  Objects  op  thb  Sba-shorb  and  Country,"  &c. 

With  IOC  new  designs  by  W.  F.  Keyl,  T.  W.  Wood,  and  E.  A.  Smith. 
Engraved  by  G.  Pearson. 

One  vol.  Rvo.,  half  morocco,  $8.00  ;  full  morocco,  $12.00  ;  cloth,  $5.00 

<s> 

This  beautiful  volume  is  one  of  the  most  attractive  aids  to  the  study  of  the  Bible  ever  published. 
Its  author,  who  occupies  the  foremost  place  among  living  writers  upon  Natural  History,  has  taken 
up,  in  its  proper  succession,  every  creature  whose  name  is  given  in  the  Scriptures,  and  supplies  so 
much  of  its  history  as  will  enable  the  reader  "to  understand  all  the  passages  in  which  it  is  mentioned. 
A  general  account  of  each  animal  is  first  given,  embracing  its  habits,  peuliarities,  mode  of  life,  and, 
where  it  is  sought  as  game,  the  manner  in  which  it  is  caught ;  and  these  particulars  are  followed  by 
special  explanations  (whenever  required)  of  those  texts  in  which  pointed  reference  is  made  to  it,  but 
of  which  the  full  force  cannot  be  gathered  without  a  knowledge  of  Natural  History.  The  illustra- 
tions, which  are  numerous,  are  from  designs  by  the  best  English  artists,  and  are  executed  in  the  finest 
st)'le  of  wood  engraving.  They  are,  moreover,  all  taken  from  the  living  animals,  while  the  accessory 
details  have  been  obtained  either  from  the  Egyptian  or  Assyrian  monuments,  from  aftual  specimens, 
or  from  the  photographs  and  drawings  of  the  latest  travellers.  They  have  also  been  sele6led  and 
arranged  so  that  each  illustration  explains  one  or  more  passages  of  Scripture.  While  the  work  is 
one  of  the  most  entertaining  and  profitable  that  can  be  placed  in  the  hands  of  the  young,  it  cannot  fail 
to  possess  the  greatest  interest  and  value  to  the  Natural  Historian,  and  to  the  Biblical  Studcr.t 
of  mature  years. 


NOTICES     OF     THE     ENGLISH     PRESS. 

"  No  writer  of  our  own  day — nor  of  any  previous  time,  so  far  as  our  recolleflion  serves — has  done 
so  much'to  popularize  Natural  History  as  the  author  of '  Homes  without  Hands.'  Mr.  Wood  has  the 
happy  faculty  of  rendering  his  subject  so  attractive  by  his  own  method  of  dealing  with  it,  and  also  by 
the  aid  he  recein-es  from  the  pencils  of  competent  artists,  that  his  books  force  themselves  as  a  conse- 
quence into  public  notice,  not  alone  as  scientific  treatises,  but  also  as  entertaining  and  instructive 
reading." — London  Art  yoiirnal. 

"  He  gives  his  readers  the  latest  results  of  the  inquiries  of  travellers  as  well  as  of  naturalists  and 
linguists,  and  to  those  who  have  not  been  accustomed  to  seek  the  guidance  of  such  an  interpreter  as 
Mr.  Wood,  it  will  be  wonderful  how  much  additional  interest  is  given  to  the  Scriptures  by  readinp 
them  with  such  a  commentary." — English  Independent. 

"  It  is  an  excellent  family  book,  and  will  be  in  constant  requisition  amongst  Bible  readers  of  all 
ages." — The  London  Student. 

This  work  may  be  procured  of  all  Booksellers,  or  will  be  sent,  post-pata,  upon  re- 
ceipt of  the  price  by  the  publishers. 

CHARLES  SCRIBNER  &  CO., 

654  Broadway,  New  Vor^. 


WILL     BE     PUBLISHED     IN     NOVEMBER, 

THE    UNIVERSE; 

OR,   THE  INFINITELY  GREAT  AND  THE  INFINITELY  LITTLE. 
By  F.  A.  POUCHET,  M.D.     Translated  from  the  French. 

lUustrated  by  343  engravings  on  wood,  and  four  colored  plates,  from  drawings  by  A.  Faodet  Mesnel 
Emll  Bayaed,  and  J.  Sxewaet.    One  vol.  large  8vo.,  rich  cloth,  gilt  top.  ' 

The  "  UNIVERSE  "  is  one  of  the  most  profusely  and  superbly  illustrated  works  on  Natural  History  ever  produced. 
i  volume  of  about  eight  hundred  pages,  it  contains  nearly  350  engravings,  a  large  proportion  full  page  ;  those 
which  represent  objects  in  nature  having  been  drawn  with  the  most  conscientious  and  painstaking  accuracy,  while 
tho^e  which  are  based  upon  subjects  which  give  any  scope  to  the  imagination,  display  that  fertility  of  invention  and 
skill  which  seems  unattainable  save  by  French  artists.  The  engravings  display  the  perfection  of  wood  engraving, 
and  in  all  its  mechanical  detaUs  the  volume  is  exceedingly  handsome.  The  letter-press,  which  has  been  translate'd 
frooi  the  French  of  one  of  the  most  famous  of  living  scientists,  is  written  in  a  famihar  and  attractive  style.  The 
ivork,  as  the  author  says,  "  is  not  a  Scientific  Treatise,  it  is  a  simple  Elementary  Study,  made  with  the  purpose  oi 
cringing  the  reader  to  seek  'in  other  works '  more  extended  and  thorough  knowledge."  Beginning  with  the  Animal 
Kingdom,  the  Invisible  World,  the  Ocean  Architects,  Insects,  Bird  Architecture,  &c.,  &c.,  are  discussed  ;  and  under 
the  Vegetable  Kingdom  very  many  curious  facta  regarding  the  Anatomy  and  Physiology  of  Plants,  Seed  and  its  Ger- 
mmation,  &c.,  are  stated.  In  the  fourth  section,  which  treats  of  Geology,  a  familiar  account  of  the  Formation  of  thfi 
Globe  is  given,  and  this  is  foUowed  by  brief  discussions  upon  Fossils,  Mountains,  Volcanoes  and  Earthquakes,  and 
other  natural  phenomena  ;  while  in  the  concluding  section  there  is  a  rapid  survey  of  the  starry  universe.  The 
volume  is  at  ouce  comprehensive  in  the  range  of  the  subjects  discussed,  and  thoroughly  accurate  in  the  treatment  of 
them,  making  it,  in  connection  with  the  mechanical  perfection  of  its  finish,  one  of  the  most  attractive  and  valuable 
works  of  its  class  ever  published. 


THE    AUTHOR'S    OBJECT    DEFINED. 

Extract  from  the  Preface  to  THE  UNI  VERSE  : 

kpSp^.'^^^  tT^-®  °^^?^^  ,'"  ^'"°K  tliis  work  was  to  inspire  and  extend  to  the  utmost  of  my  power  a  taste  for  natural 
Bcience.  it  is  not  a  learned  treatise,  but  a  simple  elementary  study,  conceived  with  the  idea  of  inducing  the  reader 
HoV^rT  n^^„  f  7^  lor  more  extensive  and  more  profound  knowledge.  I  should  (eel  pleased  were  this  study  to  bo 
n,o  ^  o  '^  /^  the  peristyle  of  the  temple  in  which  lie  hidden  the  mysterious  splendors  of  Nature,  and  if  it  were 
Pn?^  Av^.L'H'"'"!^  ^T.''  ''''*^''  '}"?''''  ^'J  penetrate  into  the  sanctuary  itself,  and  uplift  the  veil  whieh  conceals 
I'.v.fp  ^fil  title  which  I  have  adopted,  my  intention  was  merely  to  indicate  that  I  had  gathered  trom  creation  at 
v.^,^;p  '^"uti-'sting  the  smallest  ot  its  productions  with  the  mightiest.    I  have  gleaned  everywhere,  to  show  that 

M,t Win,  2!,  ^^''  'J'^'T'^^  '"""'''■  ^?'-'  luterestiDg  observations.     The  animal  and  the  vegetable  worlds,  the  earth  and 

Mie  heavens,  appear  by  turns  upon  the  scene." 


CRITICAL    NOTICES    BY    THE    FRENCH    PRESS: 

"M.  Pouchet  is  one  of  the  learned  naturalists  of  our 
age ;  his  works  are  consulted  daily  by  all  devoted  to  na- 


"  The  Univeese  is  an  excellent  work,  and  one  which 
from  its  brilUant  execution  is  destined  long  to  pass  from 
hand  to  baud,  to  live  in  tiio  esteem  of  the  studious  and 
the  learned,  and  to  be  cherished  at  the  same  time  by  those 
who  do  not  belong  to  the  ranks  of  science,  but  who  are  not 
repelled  by  a  recreation  agreeable,  if  somewhat  serious." 
—Comptes  liendus  de  V Exposition  Univtrselle,  1867. 

"  The  reputation  of  this  book  is  made.  We  know  that, 
faithtul  to  its  titie.  The  Universe,  and  to  its  sub-titie.  The 
hijinttely  Great  and  the  Ivfinilely  Little— nnim&\s,  plants, 
the  earth,  the  heaven— it  embraces  everything,  and  that 
It  treats  of  everything,  not  ouly  in  an  agreeable,  but  in  a 
competent  manner."— i'Opi'jiiow  Naiionalt. 

"With  what  grace  and  tenderness  are  the  pages 
written  in  which  M.  Pouchet  sets  before  us  the  life,  the 
planners,  and  the  customs  of  birds !  M.  Michelet's  work 
18  not  more  charming  ;  and  families  of  joyous  singers 
that  shc-ller  their  loves  in  nests  so  cunningly  and  elegantly 
hidden  amid  leaves  and  flowers,  have  ouce  more  awoke 
an  inspiration,  grare  or  gay  as  the  subject  demands."— 
M.  Octave  Laeoix,  in  the  Comptes  Rendut  de  I'Exposilim 
de  1867. 

"Under  the  pen  of  the  learned  naturalist,  science  is 
stripped  of  its  drj-ncss  and  clothed  in  the  mantle  of 
poetry."  -Le  Eon,  in  Le  Courrier  National. 


tural  science,  and  his  fine  observations  are  as  well  known 
as  his  vast  erudition.  '  Whoever  aspires,'  says  he  in  his 
preface,  'to  the  title  of  phiiosoiiher  has,  iu  the  present 
day,  a  double  mission  to  perlorm— to  discover  and  to  po 
pularize  ;  he  should  labor  ou  the  one  hand  for  the  ad- 
vancement, on  the  other  for  the  dirtusiou,  of  science.' 
M.  Pouchet  has  performed  both  of  these  d-uties  with 
equal  talent,  and  the  reception  given  to  his  work  by  the 
public  will  convince  him  that  he  has  succeeded  in  pro- 
ducing one  of  the  most  attractive  of  books."— Co rsaire. 

"  The  beautiful  book  whose  publication  we  aunounce 
is  not  only  a  good  book,  but  it  is  a  splendid  and  magnifi- 
cent work  of  art,  as  remarkable  for  the  beauty  of  the  exe- 
cution as  for  the  numerous  engravings  by  which  it  is 
adorned  ;  both  mind  and  eye  are  charmed  iu  turning 
over  its  pages."  — Amedee  Gdillemin,  author  of  Tlie 
Heavens,  in  L'Avenir  National. 

"It  reads  like  a  romance  of  the  Thousand  and  One 
Nights  of  nature.  The  imagination  of  the  fabulous  story- 
tellers of  the  East  is  surpassed,  by  the  simple  expositi  >v 
of  the  truth.  But  that  truth  M.  Pouchet  knows  how  tr. 
color,  if  not  to  embellish.  It  is  characterized  not  only  by 
the  precision  of  science,  but  also  by  the  ardor  of  poetical 
feeling."— La  Pretse. 


Copies  of  the  above  work  s»nt  to  any  address,  post-paid,  upon  receipt  of  the  price. 

CHARLES  SCRIBNER  &  CO., 

654  Broadway,  New  York, 


A  NEW  AND  VALUABLE  SERIES 
For  Readers  of  all  Ages  and  for  the  School  and  Family  Library. 

Ip  lltestnahb  -mnn 


OF 


TRAVEL,  EXPLORATION, 

AND    ADVENTURE. 

EDITED     BY 

BAYARD   TAYLOR. 


The  extraordinary  popularity  of  the  Illustrated  Library  of  Wonders  (nearly  one  and  a  half  Jiiillion  copies 
having  been  sold  in  this  country  and  in  France)  is  considered  by  the  publishers  a  sufficient  guarantee  of  the  success  of  an 
Illustrated  Library  of  Travel,  Exploration,  and  Adventure,  embracing  the  same  decidedly  interesting  and  per- 
manently valuable  features.  Upon  this  new  enterprise  Charles  Scribner  &  Co.  will  bring  to  bear  all  their  wide  and 
constantly  increasing  resources.  Neither  pains  nor  expense  will  be  spared  in  making  their  new  Library  not  only  one  of  the 
most  elegantly  and  profusely  illustrated  works  of  the  day,  but  at  the  same  time  one  of  the  most  graphic  and  fascinating 
in  narrative  and  description. 

Each  volume  will  be  complete  in  itself,  and  will  contain,  first,  a  brief  preliminary  sketch  of  the  country  to  which  it  is 
devoted  ;  next,  such  an  outline  of  previous  explorations  as  may  be  necessary  to  explain  what  has  been  achieved  by  later 
ones ;  and,  finally,  a  condensation  of  one  or  more  of  the  most  important  narratives  of  recent  travel,  accompanied  with 
illustrations  of  the  scenery,  architecture,  and  life  of  the  races,  drawn  only  from  the  most  authentic  sources.  An  occasional 
volume  will  also  be  introduced  in  the  Library-,  detailing  the  exploits  of  individual  adventurers.  The  entire  series  will  thus 
furnish  a  clear,  picturesque,  and  practical  survey  of  our  present  knowledge  of  lands  and  races  as  supplied  by  the  accounts 
of  travellers  and  explorers.  The  Library  will,  therefore,  be  both  entertaining  and  instructive  to  young  as  well  as  old,  and 
the  publishers  intend  to  make  it  a  necessity  in  every  family  of  culture  and  in  every-  private  and  public  library  in  America. 
The  name  of  Bayard  Taylor,  as  editor,  is  an  assurance  of  the  accuracy  and  high  literary  character  of  the  publication. 


THE   INITIAL   VOLUME    OF 

THE  ILLUSTRATED  LIBRARY  OF 

TRAVEL,  EXPLORATION,  AND  ADVENTURE 

Will  be  issued  about  DEC.  1st,  and.  will  be  devoted  to 

A  P  A  N. 

It  will  be  Illustrated  with  a  Finely  Engraved  Map  and  more  than  Thirty  Beautiful  Wood-cuts. 


J 


The  following  volumes  are  also  well  advanced,  and  will  be  issued  at  about  monthly  intervals. 

ARABIA,  SOUTH  AFRICA. 

WILD  MEN  AND  WILD  BEASTS. 

By    Lieut.-Col.   GORDON    GUMMING. 
The  volumes  -will  be  uniform  in  size  (12mo),  and  also  in  price  ($1.50  each). 
^^  Catalogues,  with  specimen   ilhtstrations,  sent  on  application. 

CHAKLES  SORIBNER  &  CO.,  654  Broadway,  New  York. 


/I  NE\N  SERIES  OF 

THE    ILLUSTRATED 

iiibFaPB  of  Bonbpps. 

ENLARGED  IN  SIZE,  IN  A  NEW  STYLE  OF  BINDING, 'aND  EDITED  BY  PROMINENT 

AMERICAN  AUTHORS. 
The  extraordinary  success  of  the  Illustrated  Library  of  Wonders  has  encouraged  the  publishers   to  still  further 
efforts  to  increase  the  attractions  and  value  of  these  admirable  books.     In  the  new  series  which  has  just  been  commenced 
with  The  Wonders  of  Water  the  size  of  the  volumes  is  increased,  the  style  of  binding  changed,   and  the  successive 
volumes  are  edited  by  distinguished  American  authors  and  scientists. 
I'he  following  volumes  will  introduce. 

THE  SECOND  SERIES  OF  THE 

IIInstFfli'Fh  Eibpflrg  of  Mon&prs. 


MOUNTAIN  ADVENTURES.     Edited  by 

J.  T.  Headley. 
WONDERS  OF  ELECTRICITY.     Edited 

J  )r.    J.   W.    Armstrong,    President  of  the 

.State  Normal  School,  Fredonia,  N.  Y.     In 

Dt:ieiuber. 


WONDERS  OF  VEGETATION.     Edite  1 
by  Prof.  SCHELE  De  Vere. 


WONDERS  OF  WATER. 

Schele  De  Vere. 


Edited  by  Prof. 
WONDERS     OF     ENGRAVING. 


THE  FIRST  SERIES  OF  THE 

Illustrated  Library  of  Wonders. 

Comprises  Twenty  Volumes,  containing  over  1,000  Beautiful  Illustrations. 

These  twenty  volumes  in  cloth,  or  inbalf  roan,  gilt  top,  are  furnished  in  a  black  walnut  case  for  Sijo  oo  fthe 
case  gratis,  or  they  may  be  bought  singly  or  in  libraries,  classified  according  to  their  subjects  as  below 
each  I  voL  i2mo.     Price  per  vol.  $1.50  ' 


WONDERS  OF  NATURE. 


No.  lUus. 
■     43 


THE  HUMAN  BODY 

THE  SUBLIME   IN  NATURE.         .  44 

INTELLIGENCE  OF   ANIMALS      .  54 

THUNDER  AND  LIGHTNING         .  39 

BOTTOM   OF  THE  SEA     ...  68 

THE   HEAVENS 48 

6  Vols,  in  a  neat  box,  $9. 


WONDERS  OF  SCIENCE. 


ITALIAN  ART      . 
EUROPEAN  ART 
ARCHITECTURE 
GLASS-MAKING 
WONDERS  OF  POMPEII 
EGYPT  3,300  YEARS  AGO 
6  Vols,  in  a  neat  Box, 


No.  lUus. 
28 
II 
60 

63 
22 
40 


WONDERS  OF  ART. 


THE  SUN     By  Guillemin    . 
WONDERS  OF  HEAT 
OPTICAL  WONDERS 
WONDERS  OF  ACOUSTICS 

4  Vols,  in  a  neat  Box,  $6. 


No.  Illus. 
■      58 

•  93 

•  71 
.   no 


ADVENTURES  AND  EXPLOITS. 


No.  Illus. 

W^ONDERFUL  ESCAPES  .  .  26 
BODILY  STRENGTH  AND  SKILL  70 
BALLOON  ASCENTS  .  .  ,30 
GREAT  HUNTS 22 

4  Vols,  in  a  neat  Box,  |6. 
paid,^re«iVt"ofthfprrce"'^"  "'  *'  ^'-^"^"^^=°  Library  of  Wonders  sent  to  any  address,  post  or  express  charges 
^^A  descrij,tive  Catalogue  of  the  Wonder  Library,  with  specimen  illustrations,  se,tt  to  any  address  on  apj-lica- 

CHAELES  SCEIBNEE  &  CO.,  654  Broadway,  New  York. 


